


Escape from Xanadu

by bluemoonmaverick



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-09 20:28:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4363097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmaverick/pseuds/bluemoonmaverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The discovery of an intra-galactic trading hub brings hope for new allies and technology.  But when both SG-3 and SG-11 go missing, it's up to SG-1 to find them and bring them home, before they too are lost in Xanadu. **Sam & Jack Multimedia Awards Nominee - Erotica and Mature and WINNER - Best Action/Adventure (2016)**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during Season 5, after the events of Desperate Measures.

Prologue

She watches the side of his neck as a small vein pulses with either the rhythm of the unfamiliar music or the strobing light, she's not sure which. All she knows is that she's suddenly very aware of his proximity and she's fairly sure she can smell him -- not his perspiration or the lingering scent of his aftershave -- but his unique chemistry that she's known for some time perfectly complements her own. Before she met him, she never really believed in the pheromone theory of attraction, but now she's not so sure, especially since the low level buzz she's felt between her legs from the moment they walked in has increased exponentially since he's pulled her closer.

They're standing in a dark corner of an alien lounge, and she realizes that she can't quite remember why. That should bother her, but he's got one hand at the small of her back and the other at her shoulder, and all she can think about is how he would taste if she licked the throbbing spot on his neck that is still keeping time with the odd music.

She gives herself a mental shake and tears her eyes away. Something about this is wrong, she's certain of it, but ever since they entered, she hasn't been able to focus on anything but him. She deliberately turns her head to the side, a feat that requires a puzzling amount of effort.

Despite the strange lighting that permeates the space in fluid, pulsating undulations, it's difficult to see much beyond their immediate surroundings. She catches a rhythmic movement to her right and knows she should be surprised to find the couple nearest them having sex, but she's not. Instead, she simply watches them without any attempt to mask her curiosity whatsoever.

The dark haired woman is naked and stretched over a table, her large breasts pressed flat against the surface, her body moving back and forth as her partner takes her from behind. She should be embarrassed to have this happening so close, especially when she's standing there with him, but she's not. No, rather than turn away, she continues watching, until the woman's eyes unexpectedly snap to hers, and a spark of recognition passes between them. She knows she should try to figure out what that might mean, but she's too distracted by the way the woman's face suddenly flushes and her mouth opens in a cry of ecstasy that she can't hear over the incessant music.

By now, the tension in her core has ratcheted up several notches. She turns back to face her own partner only to find him staring down at her with a look so intense it steals her breath away. At some point, they've moved such that one of his thighs is nestled between hers. She realizes without any self-recrimination at all that she's been pressing herself against it.

The hand that was previously at her back is now touching the bare skin underneath her robe just where her narrow waist begins to flare at the hip. She closes her eyes and focuses on how the rough pad of his thumb catches a little as he rubs it back and forth across her delicate skin. That sensation alone is enough to make her noticeably wet. He must feel it too, because the moment she opens her eyes, he threads his fingers though her hair and brings his lips down to meet hers.

His mouth claims hers completely, as the hand that was at her hip slides around and down to cusp her smooth backside and hold her firmly against his thigh, encouraging her to continue what she's started. She is more than happy to oblige, and so she shamelessly rocks against him, letting her own hand wander across his chest and down his abdomen until she finds what she's looking for. He lets out a ragged breath as she pushes his robes aside and takes his hard length in her firm grasp and begins to stroke him slowly from base to tip and back again.

By now his hand is on her breast, and his lips are trailing fire down her neck to meet it. He takes one stiff nipple in his mouth and sucks, and she can't help the way her back involuntarily arches as a spike of pleasure shoots through her body.

For a moment, she lets her unfocussed gaze wander, but all she can see is the fluid blue light enveloping their entwined bodies, the rippling effect making the way they move together appear disjointed. She finds it disquieting, so she determines to keep her eyes on him, but not before she notices that her robe has fallen open and her breasts are completely exposed. She knows there are other people in the lounge, perhaps watching her the way she watched the dark haired woman. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realizes this should bother her, but all she can think it is that she doesn't want him to stop what he's doing with his mouth.

God, all she wants is more. She _needs_ more.

She hadn't realized she vocalized that thought, but she must have because he immediately shifts so that he's standing between her legs, his hard cock trailing pre-seminal fluid across her lower belly as he presses it against her. In one movement, he lifts her leg over his hip and spins them so that her back is now to the wall. She feels her body release another rush of wet warmth in anticipation of what's to come, and in the next second, all she can do is gasp as he shifts again and slides inside her on a low groan. The motion is sudden and had she not been so aroused, it might not have been entirely pleasurable. But the feeling of his large cock moving deep inside her while his lithe body presses her against the wall is almost more stimulation than she can take.

They move like that for awhile, with hands and lips and tongues and teeth engaging in their own erotic exploration, but soon the throbbing of the music is nothing compared to the throbbing between her thighs, and she is already tightening around him. His breaths are coming in short huffs, and she knows by the way every muscle in his body is drawn taut that he's trying to hold himself back. It's a losing battle, of course, for both of them.

He begins to whisper a desperate apology in her ear, something about not being able to last much longer, his voice gruff and low and full of need, but she cuts him off quickly with her own breathy assurance that she's about to come. With that, he increases both speed and pressure, his rhythm becoming erratic. She hears/sees/feels his release only seconds before her entire body shudders with its own, and she is overwhelmed by a rapture so intense, she forgets everything but her body's fervent response to the way he's still moving inside her, over her, around her. Just like the light.

_Like a moth to a flame_ , she thinks.

It's her last coherent thought, because she's not sure if it's been minutes or hours or days since they walked into that dark and alien lounge. But how long she's been there, who she is, and why she's there are no longer relevant. The only thing that matters now is that he is there with her, and she will never, ever leave.

TBC...


	2. Shangdu

_In Xanadu did Kubla Khan_

_A stately pleasure-dome decree:_

_Where Alph, the sacred river, ran_

_Through caverns measureless to man_

_Down to a sunless sea._

Chapter 1 - Shangdu

_48 hours prior_

General Hammond walked briskly into the SGC conference room, immediately drawing the attention of everyone seated around the large table. Sam leapt to her feet, followed quickly by Jack. Even Daniel and Teal'c straightened in their chairs, but Hammond hardly spared them a second glance before seating himself at the head and muttering, "At ease, people."

Sam settled in her chair, but sat up tall and clasped her hands in front of her, preparing herself for whatever piece of information the General was about to impart. The lack of the usual pleasantries was a sure indication that whatever Hammond had to tell them wasn't good news. Without any preamble, he began.

"Just over a week ago, SG-3 discovered what appeared to be a thriving market the size of a small city on P7X-442. After talking with some of the merchants, they determined that the location serves as a trading hub for several planets, all of which were unfamiliar to us and some of which appeared relatively advanced."

"Well, that's unusual," Daniel said. "The Goa'uld don't typically allow civilizations under their control to progress technologically, at least not to any significant degree."

Hammond didn't miss a beat. "Agreed, Dr. Jackson, but this planet wasn't found on the Abydos cartouche. It's one that was downloaded from the Ancient repository."

"So it was never controlled by the Goa'uld," Teal'c surmised. 

The General nodded. "That’s our theory. And as far as we can tell, it doesn’t look like any of the other people who travel to P7X-442 are from Goa'uld occupied planets, either."

Sam was was buzzing with the prospect of imminent scientific discovery. "This is amazing, sir. Think of what we could learn from such a diverse group of civilizations..."

"Not to mention the potential allies," Hammond added. "Which is why we sent SG-11 back to do a more in-depth study of the various cultures that visit P7X-442."

But Jack was not nearly so excited. "I take it from the fact that we're all sitting here that things didn't go as planned?" 

With that, the mood of the group grew somber once again. Hammond leaned forward and met the eye of each team member in turn as he spoke.

"Four days ago, SG-11 missed a scheduled report. When they missed a second one 24 hours later, we sent SG-3 back through the gate to find out what happened to them."

"And?" Jack prompted, and Sam knew he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

"And SG-3 reported that according to some of the locals, SG-11 had traveled to a palace of some sort, called Shangdu, located near the coast. They advised they were going to follow. That was two days ago. We haven't heard anything since."

"Wait a minute," Daniel interrupted. "A palace known as Shangdu?" 

Hammond inclined his head.

"I wonder..."

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Well, I'm not sure, but it sounds like it could be Xanadu."

"Xanadu? As in Olivia Newton-John on roller skates?"

"No, Jack," Daniel replied, his tone somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "As in the grand pleasure palace reportedly built by the Mongolian ruler Kubla Kahn during the Yuan dynasty. It was known as Shangdu, or Xanadu."

"Well, that certainly fits with what we found this morning." Hammond slid the aerial photos he'd kept in a folder in front of him around the table, and Jack moved in closer to Sam to take a look, his proximity making her heart beat just a little faster. "When SG-3 failed to report in, we sent a UAV through the 'gate. This is what it transmitted before we lost contact." 

The team studied the photographs which revealed what appeared to be a large, ornate palace with extensive park-like grounds ringed by a stone wall, through which a river ran down to an ocean.

"Whoa," Jack began. "That's..."

"Big," Sam said, completing his sentence and drawing a raised eyebrow and slightly scandalized look from her superior officer.

Jack drew himself upright. "I was going to say ‘well protected,’" he replied, shooting Sam a sideways glance.

Sam ducked her head to hide her smile. The Colonel was teasing her, and she hadn't realized until just then how much she'd missed it, the easy, flirtatious banter between them. She chanced a glance in his direction only to find him still looking at her, the gleam in his eye unmistakable. Nonetheless, she tried her best to suppress the smile that still threatened to turn up the corners of her mouth and tamped down hard on the completely inappropriate twinge of desire that shot through her body. Whatever else they might be to one another, he was first and foremost her superior officer, and right now they had a job to do.

"In any event," Hammond interrupted, as if reading her mind, "I want you all to go to P7X-442, find SG teams 3 and 11, and bring them home."

Jack gave him a quick nod. "Yes, sir."

"You leave at 0900. Dismissed." Hammond stilled as he waited for the others to clear the room. Just as she walked through the doorway, Sam overheard him call to her CO. "And Jack?" Though she knew she shouldn't, she stopped to listen just outside the door.

"Sir?"

"I can't keep sending SG teams through the 'gate to this location, only to have them disappear. If you can't find the others within the next 72 hours, you are to return to the SGC."

It was a simple enough statement, but Sam knew it was what Hammond hadn't said that was more important: if they didn't report back, there wouldn't be any others coming through the 'gate to rescue them.

Of course, Jack knew it, too. "Understood, sir," he replied immediately. He walked out and he and Sam exchanged a look, quick but full of meaning. 

They were on their own.

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote at the beginning of the chapter is from Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It's always been a favorite, and I plan to begin certain chapters with an excerpt from the poem. 
> 
> Also, I changed the title of this story to avoid confusion with the Sam-Jack fanfic Xanadu by Spiletta42. My story is unrelated to hers. 
> 
> Finally, I want to thank both MidKnight Rider and BethanyActually for the excellent beta. You guys are the best!


	3. Bazaar

_So twice five miles of fertile ground_

_With walls and towers were girdled round;_

_And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,_

_Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;_

_And here were forests ancient as the hills,_

_Enfolding sunny spots of greenery._

_\--_ From _Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 

When he emerged from the wormhole, Jack instantly noticed several things at once. The first was that the Stargate was located at the top of a rather large hill, and from that vantage point, he could see a sprawling, fertile plain that sloped down to a sparkling, deep blue sea visible just on the horizon. The second thing he noticed was a blissful lack of trees – or at least trees of any size. Mostly, the plain before him was populated by low-growing scrub brush, accented here and there with an occasional copse of taller trees that looked like cypress. The place had a distinctly Mediterranean feel and was a refreshing change, Jack thought, from the other planets they usually visited.

The most outstanding feature of the vista, however, lay at the base of the hill on which he was standing. Below him, less than three klicks from the gate was a bustling open-air market that easily spanned a few hundred acres. Even from his spot atop the hill, Jack could hear a cacophony of music and laughter and the call of salespeople hawking their wares filtering up from below.

“Oh, wow,” Daniel commented as he stepped out of the gate and joined Jack on the first step, with Sam and Teal’c close behind.

Jack could relate. If it weren’t for the urgent nature of their mission, he might really enjoy his time there. Unfortunately, though, this wasn’t a leisure trip. He took a deep breath of the temperate air and admired the relatively treeless view one last time before clapping his hands together and turning toward his team. “What say we do some shopping?"

Together, the four of them headed down the short path to the marketplace in the hope of finding someone who had seen the other teams or, more importantly, might have information on their whereabouts. But despite the sunny day and the festive mood of the bazaar, Jack was wary. Eight people had gone missing over the past several days, eight people who were both well trained and well armed. Whatever had happened to them, he was certain it wasn't anything good.

The moment they entered the maze of stalls at the base of the hill, the colorful vendors began calling out to them, offering everything from booze to weapons to robotics to clothing. As they walked, they saw exotic animals in cages and small groups of men smoking what looked like hookahs. They were repeatedly offered various substances that would open their minds, make them better looking, or improve their breath. And in some stalls, the vendors were selling machines that would reportedly do everything from clean their floors to cook their meals, as well as other, much more personal services.

As they wandered the twisting paths of the market, Jack couldn't help but notice how both Sam and Daniel were gaping at the wild mix of technology and cultures. He exchanged a knowing look with Teal'c -- it would be up to them to keep the science geeks from getting distracted.

Jack fell into step with Sam, and as if on cue, Sam whispered with a voice filled with awe, "This is amazing, sir." 

He was just about to remind her of their purpose, when a particularly assertive merchant, one who had undoubtedly overheard her comment, stepped away from his stall and began walking with her on the side opposite Jack.

"Surely such a beautiful lady deserves a fitting companion," said the man to Sam, his dark and sparkling eyes full of mischief.

"Hey!" Jack protested, but his Second had already stopped to look at what the man held toward her in his outstretched hand.

Peering over Sam's shoulder, Jack watched as the merchant placed what appeared to be a small, mechanical butterfly in her palm. It was a delicate piece of work, with wings that looked like stained glass and a body made of gears that turned upon one another, reminding Jack of a the inside of a watch.

"This is extraordinary!" Sam exclaimed as she examined it more closely, and Jack could have sworn she let out a faint squeal of delight when the machine flapped its wings and rose above her head before settling once again in her palm. "How does it work?" she asked the merchant, who was practically salivating.

Time to shut this down, thought Jack. "Alright, Carter, give the man his pet back."

"But, sir!" the merchant protested. "Can't you see she is taken with it? Surely you won't deprive the lady of such a prize."

He huffed. "I can assure you the lady has no need for any other 'companions.'"

Jack was, of course, referring to the team, the other members of which were questioning a woman across the way, but the merchant clearly misinterpreted his meaning. "So you say," he replied skeptically, giving Jack the once over before being struck with a sudden thought. He snapped his fingers. "Perhaps then, something to help your libido! I have several natural remedies--"

"My libido's just fine, thank you," Jack growled, before grabbing Sam by the arm and pulling her away.

He was thankful that Teal'c and Daniel hadn't been around to witness that particular exchange, but he inwardly cringed knowing a certain blond Major was. He risked a quick glance in her direction and saw that -- not surprisingly -- she was trying to repress a smile. What he didn't expect, though, was the full-blown blush on her cheeks.

It did funny things to his insides.

He sighed. Damn if he wasn't completely screwed. After their time spent as Jonah and Thera, he'd tried to put some distance between them, hoping that if he maintained a completely professional demeanor, he would get past his inappropriate infatuation with his Second. But ever since that bastard Adrian Conrad had taken her and he'd been on the verge of sheer panic until he found her, he'd realized the feelings that he'd been trying for more than a year to ignore weren't gone. Quite the opposite -- they had magnified tenfold, to the point he now knew that he was hopelessly in love with her.

Apparently she had that effect on people, he thought, as a tiny girl, dressed in rags and no more than four years old, approached her to hand her a tattered wildflower. But no sooner had Sam knelt down to talk to the girl than Jack caught a movement behind him out of the corner of his eye. In a flash, he turned around and caught by the wrist the boy who was trying to unzip his pack.

"Don't hurt him!" cried the girl.

The boy was squirming so much, it was as if he had a tiger by the tail. Quickly he pinned both arms to his sides. "Enough!" Jack shouted, as the boy tried to kick him. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you have to calm down!" After a few more vain attempts to gain his freedom, the boy stilled, and Jack got his first good look at him. He was nothing but skin and bones, and not much older than the girl. Jack inclined his head in her direction. "That your sister?" The boy nodded reluctantly. "Where are your parents?" he asked in a somewhat softer tone, though he suspected he knew the answer.

"Don't got none," the boy replied with a shrug. Then, with more bravado than he clearly felt, he added, "If you're gonna beat me, you might as well get it over with."

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat and exchanged a look with Sam, who was trying to comfort the crying girl. He loosened his grip on the boy a little. "You hungry?"

The boy nodded slowly and Jack released his hold on him, half expecting him to bolt. But instead, he watched wide-eyed as Jack took off his pack, reached inside, and pulled out a power bar. He offered it to him and after a moment of hesitation, the boy snatched it then took off like a shot with his sister in tow.  

Jack stood to find his Second beaming at him. "What?" he asked gruffly.

But she just kept smiling at him. "Nothing, sir."

And there went his insides again.

"Jack!" Daniel called from several feet down the narrow path. Jack turned toward him, thankful for the distraction. "This man has information." The archeologist indicated a portly man in ornate robes, who stood inside a stall strewn with silks. 

As Jack and Sam approached, the merchant swung the tassel of his braided belt in an lazy arc while he leered appreciatively at Sam.

"What do you know?" Jack asked brusquely.    

"Hmm," he mused before finally tearing his eyes away from Sam's chest to meet the military man's gaze. "Ah, yes. Your people were here a few days ago."

"This much we know already," Teal'c replied, standing tall. Jack was gratified to see the man cower a bit.

Jack pinned him with a pointed glare. "And where are they now?"

"Well, I can't be certain, of course, but I would guess they are still at the pleasure palace."

"Pleasure palace?" Daniel asked. "You mean Shangdu -- the building by the sea?" He gestured in a circle with his hand. "The one with a big wall around it?"

"Yes, yes. That's it. So, you've heard of it, then."

"No," Jack responded before Daniel could answer. "Look, what is this palace exactly?"

The merchant's beady eyes lit up. "Oh, it's a wondrous place, a paradise! Delicious food, the finest wines, excellent gaming, beautiful women -- or men, if you prefer," he added with a sly glance at Sam, "all willing to provide whatever pleasure you seek." His mood turned momentarily serious.   "Assuming you are granted entrance, of course."

"I wonder why our people would go to a place like that?" Sam asked Jack in a low voice.

But it was the merchant who answered. "Oh, everyone wants to go to Shangdu. But your friends were following the others, I believe."

"Others?" Jack asked.

The merchant made a dismissive gesture at their attire. "Like you."

"Then SG-3 did indeed follow SG-11 to the palace," Teal'c surmised.

"Yeah, and never came back," Jack added. "Damn scientists," he muttered under his breath, with a shake of his head.

The merchant chuckled. "You can hardly blame them. If your friends were permitted inside, they were lucky indeed."

Somehow Jack doubted that. "Hey, what do you mean by ' _if_ they were permitted inside?'"

"The proprietors are quite selective about whom they let inside the gates. Only those with certain... _desirable_ attributes are invited to the palace."

"Such as wealth and beauty, I suppose," Daniel speculated.

"Hmm, just so," mused the merchant. "Frankly, I'm surprised your friends were granted entrance," he added haughtily. "Of course, if you would like to visit the palace, perhaps I could assist." He stroked one of the hanging silks. "It's well known at Shangdu that I make the finest robes..."

Jack adjusted his pack. Something about this whole situation didn't sit right with him, and it was more than just his gear. The sooner they found SG-3 and 11, the better. "Yeah, thanks for that, but I think we'll pass."  

Jack left Daniel to wrap things up with the merchant, who clearly wasn't pleased that they hadn't taken him up on his offer, before the four of the them headed to the back of the market, where they were told they'd find the road to Shangdu.

It was only a matter of a few turns through the stalls before Jack realized they were being followed, and by whom. But it wasn't until they had exited the bazaar that their tail made himself known.  

"Hey mister!" called the boy who had tried to pick-pocket him earlier. 

All four members of SG-1stopped and turned to face the boy. "Yes?" Jack asked. He fully expected the boy to ask for more food, so he was surprised when he ran up to them, nervously checked once over his shoulder, and beckoned Jack to get down on his level.

Once Jack had complied, the boy said in a low voice, "You shouldn't go to that place. It's bad."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, who had knelt beside him.

The boy shook his head. "The people who go there...they don't come back."

"How do you know?" Jack prodded.

The boy squirmed a bit and refused to meet their eyes. "My mother...She went, looking for work. She didn't come back."

Jack winced, then stood. Damn, he hated to see children suffer, especially since he knew he couldn't do much to help them. "Thanks, kid, but we need to find our friends." He ruffled the boy's hair. "But we'll look for your mom, too," he added in a softer voice. He reached into his pack and brought out his last two power bars and held them out. "For your sister."

The boy nodded once, then took the bars and disappeared back into the market. Jack turned and started down the long road toward the sea, ignoring the knowing looks from hit team. "You know, I'm getting a bad feeling about this place," he stated to no one in particular.

"Indeed," added Teal'c, who fell in line behind Jack, with Daniel and Sam bringing up the rear.

They made their way toward the coast mostly in silence. It was dusk when they finally came upon the stone wall surrounding the palace, at least twenty feet high looming much larger than it had looked in the ariel photos. Though Jack knew there was both a palace and a sea behind the structure, he couldn't see either. In fact, all he could see was a large, impenetrable, iron door straight ahead of them. It was the only break in the wall for miles.

He was just about to ask his team for suggestions, when the sound of voices drifted down from behind them. With a quick hand gesture, he indicated that they should take cover, and the four of them made for a nearby grouping of trees and settled down to watch.

They didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, two male travelers approached, both finely attired and, though it was difficult to hear what they were saying, clearly excited about what lay beyond. However, like SG-1, they seemed uncertain of how to proceed, since there was no latch or handle or any other means of opening the door.

The two travelers stood there for several minutes, presumably discussing their next course of action, before the taller one finally reached out and pounded on the door. When nothing happened, the other tried to knock as well, but again the door failed to open. Several more attempts to gain entrance were made but to no avail, and as the minutes passed the men became increasingly irritated. As did Jack.

"For crying out loud," he muttered under his breath, which drew a small smile from Sam at least.

Finally, after nearly an hour, the travelers gave up and returned to the path that lead back to the market, decidedly less enthusiastic than when they arrived. By then, it was nearly dark.

When they were sure the men had gone, SG-1 emerged from the cover of the trees, and Jack walked right up to the door to take a closer look, with Sam and Daniel and Teal'c doing the same. It didn't look any more inviting than when the other men had tried to open it.

Jack spun on his heel and faced his team. "So. Ideas?" he asked, only to watch as Sam's eyes grew wide as saucers.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said simply, indicating that Jack should turn around.  

Behind him, the iron doors had begun opening soundlessly. Jack looked back at Teal'c. "Right," he said, without missing a beat. "Good job, then."

He started walking through the gate, when Daniel spoke. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Jack?" 

"No, I'm pretty sure this is a terrible idea, Daniel," he said without stopping, "but unless you have any other suggestions for getting to the palace...?"

Daniel just shook his head, and with that, all four passed warily through the doors, which closed again without a sound immediately after they entered.

Jack paused and took a deep breath, waiting for the others to catch up. In truth, the whole thing was seriously creeping him out, but he didn't want to mention that to them. Still, he couldn't help sharing the one thought he couldn't shake. He turned to face his team with a smirk.

"Welcome to the Hotel California, kids." 

TBC...


	4. Checking In

_On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair_   
_Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air_   
_Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light_   
_My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim_   
_I had to stop for the night_

_There she stood in the doorway, I heard the mission bell_   
_Then I was thinking to myself this could be Heaven or this could be Hell_   
_Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way_   
_There were voices down the corridor I thought I heard them say_   
_Welcome to the Hotel California..._

\-- From _Hotel California_ by The Eagles

 

Once inside the gate Sam did a quick perimeter check, sweeping her weapon in a 180 degree arc. Aside from her teammates, though, she saw nothing other than a gently sloping path that lead down a great expanse of rolling hills toward the coast. From their current position, the palace was just barely visible on the far side of the field, its many lights twinkling in the gathering darkness.

"What? No welcoming committee?" Jack said wryly, with a half grin. "Remind me to speak with the management," he added, letting his weapon fall casually to his side as he took off down the path. Suppressing an amused grin, Sam followed her CO, with Daniel and Teal'c close behind.

Though she remained on high alert, she couldn't help but notice how beautiful their surroundings were. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, casting the shallow valleys in shadow and giving the hills a deep orange glow. A small river to their right was alight with a fiery brilliance, and everywhere she looked she saw a variety of leafy green flora in far greater abundance than what they'd found outside the gate. In fact, opposite the river to their far left was a tall, dense wood. In this light, the trees were completely dark and somewhat ominous, and Sam was glad their path did not take them in that direction.

Without warning, a shrill screech sounded from overhead. In an instant, every member of SG-1 knelt, weapons pointed at the sky. But all they saw was a flock of exotic birds flying directly overhead with tails twice the length of their bodies and feathers in every color of the rainbow. From far off in the wood, their call was answered. As night continued to descend, Sam realized that she could hear a variety of animal noises, mostly insects and birds, but every now and then she caught the sound of something much larger.

By the time they reached the palace, it was full dark, though the planet's two bluish-white moons had risen, bathing the palace in an ethereal light. The structure was large, with a huge dome in the center, surrounded by multiple spires that towered far above. Small windows were cut in random patterns along their otherwise solid walls, and from each a dim, flickering light shone, though it was difficult to determine whether it was natural or man-made. A wide set of steps lead up to yet another iron door, the only part of the palace that wasn't made of rough, pale stone.

The closer they got to the imposing structure, the more anxious Sam knew she should have been. However, the effect was just the opposite -- a spark of excitement was beginning to build, and she realized that she couldn't wait to get inside.

"Does anyone else feel that?" asked Daniel, much to Sam's surprise.

Jack nodded. "Yeah." He shook out his hands. "I'm feeling kind of...tingly."

"Me, too, sir," Sam added.

But Teal'c looked confused. "I am not experiencing any...tingling."

"No?" Jack furrowed his brow at the Jaffa. "That's too bad, T." He grinned suddenly. "I kinda like it. Hey," he hit Daniel on the shoulder with the back of his hand, "maybe this place isn't so bad after all."

Daniel nodded, and Sam found herself grinning at her CO. She could not have agreed more, even if Teal'c still looked somewhat concerned. She didn't have time to dwell, though, because just as before the iron door to the palace opened without a sound. Three beautiful women emerged, all with long dark hair and olive skin, wearing nothing but thin, short robes and warm smiles.

"Yep, not bad at all," Sam heard Jack mutter to Daniel, and she had to repress the urge to roll her eyes at her CO.

The tallest of the three women stepped forward. "Welcome to Shangdu." She bowed her head. "Now, if you'll leave your weapons with my friends," she gestured to the other two women, "I'll show you to your rooms."

Daniel immediately began to unholster his sidearm, but Sam hesitated. Though she wasn't sure why, the thought of being unarmed troubled her. When she looked at Jack, she saw the same doubt in his eyes.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said, his voice a warning.

Jack furrowed his brow and put a restraining hand on Daniel's arm. "Hold on there a minute, Danny." He turned toward the tall woman. "I think we'd rather hang on to them, if you don't mind."

"I'm afraid weapons are not allowed in the palace," she replied smoothly. When they continued to hesitate, she added, "I assure you, you will have no need of them here." When they still didn't move, her smile began to falter a bit. "Of course, if you are unwilling to relinquish your weapons, you are free to leave." She gestured toward the path down which they'd traveled.

Sam felt something akin to panic. Surely the Colonel wasn't going to make them leave? Daniel, too, must have been worried, because he immediately pulled her CO aside and said in a low voice, "I don't think we have a choice, Jack. We'll never find the others if we can't get inside."

Jack considered the situation for a moment longer before unclasping his P90. With a near overwhelming sense of relief, Sam began to do the same, but Teal'c still hesitated.

"I do not believe this is wise, O'Neill," he offered.

"Yeah," Jack conceded, "but Daniel's right. We need to get inside."

Teal’c watched as all three of his teammates handed their weapons to the women. Reluctantly, and only after a prolonged non-verbal exchange with the Colonel, he extended his arm and handed over his staff weapon. Once everything was collected, the tallest woman gestured toward the interior of the palace. "Please, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."

As one, they all walked past the entry into the heart of the structure. Sam had to stifle a gasp, as once she stepped inside, her senses were nearly overwhelmed. Silky tapestries, luxurious rugs, and suggestive artwork adorned the airy, open space, which was dimly lit by several well-placed sconces. An alluring tune played softly in the background with certain notes that bordered on the seductive, while a strange but pleasing scent wafted through the air, reminding her instantly of the spa her sister-in-law had dragged her to last Christmas. The entire place had an intimate, almost sensual feel. Though she’d never been anywhere like it, Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that it was somehow familiar.

She didn’t have time to dwell, though, because they’d begun walking through the building and Jack had just reminded them to keep sharp. Sam was startled to realize that she’d been so caught up in her surroundings that she had momentarily forgotten their mission.

As they made their way through the winding halls of the palace, they encountered a handful of other people, but she saw no one she recognized. Still, many of the strangers stopped and stared appreciatively at her in a way that normally would have made her uncomfortable. Instead, she felt invigorated.

Before she had time to ponder the situation further, her attention was drawn to Daniel, who was attempting to strike up a conversation with their host.

"So we're, um, looking for some friends of ours. We think they arrived a couple of days ago." When the woman didn't respond, he added, "They would have been dressed like us." He indicated his uniform, but the woman barely glanced in his direction.

"Many travel here to enjoy the pleasures of Shangdu. If your friends are in the palace, I am sure you will encounter them at some point during your stay."

Jack stopped walking abruptly, and the others came to a halt as well and turned to face him. "Yeah, see, we would really prefer to find them tonight," he said brusquely.

The woman gave him a cool smile. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. Given the hour, I can only assume that your friends are otherwise occupied and would prefer not to be interrupted." At Jack's glare, she placed a hand on his arm and added in a soothing voice, "It is late. Perhaps you would like to rest? You can find your friends tomorrow."

Now that Sam thought about it, she was exhausted. It had been a long day, and the woman's suggestion made perfect sense. They'd be more effective if they weren't running on fumes. To her great relief, the Colonel apparently felt the same way, because his demeanor softened a bit and at his quick nod, their host continued down the hallway.

As she followed behind the woman, Sam grew increasingly entranced by the foreign architecture and exotic decor, which seemed to become more intricate with every turn. Only after several minutes did she realize that their host had taken them on a rather circuitous route, and she had no clue how to find her way back to the entrance of the palace.

She was about to raise the issue with her team, when the woman suddenly stopped and extended her arm toward a suite of rooms. "You will find everything you need here. Rest well, for tomorrow you will partake in all the delights of Shangdu." She smiled then turned on her heel and instantly disappeared down the hall.

"Do any of you remember how to get back to the entrance?" Sam asked quickly before the thought evaporated.

Both Daniel and Jack looked shocked, as though they'd never considered it, but Teal'c gave her a solemn nod. "I have endeavored to memorize our path, though our host made doing so most difficult." He looked at each team member in turn. "I believe that was her intent."

"Yeah, something's definitely fishy here," Jack replied. "I think we should stick together."

With that he opened the door to one of the rooms, and it became readily apparent that sharing quarters was not going to be a problem. The bedroom was huge, with a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the dark sea, framed by thick curtains on each side. But the centerpiece of the space was an oval-shaped bed situated on a raised dais and covered with soft silks and at least a half dozen pillows. Mirrors adorned almost every surface -- even, Sam noticed with no small degree of amusement, the ceiling. A tufted chaise lounge sat in one corner, instantly calling to mind the antique "fainting chair" her grandmother had kept in her parlor.

"Um, wow," Daniel said. "This is--"

"Big," Sam finished for him, and she openly grinned this time when Jack shot her an amused look.

"I was going to say plush, Carter. Or maybe...kinky." Sam felt her breath catch as he looked directly at her, his eyes alight with mischief and his lips curled in a half grin. For a moment she couldn't think of anything other than how those lips might taste. It dawned on her then that it had been a long time since they'd openly flirted with one another.

But Daniel kept looking around the room with a furrowed brow. "Is it just me, or is there something familiar about this place?"

"Yes!" Sam instantly agreed, finally dragging her gaze away from Jack's. A sense of familiarity had been tugging at the edges of her consciousness ever since they'd entered the palace.

"Yeah maybe," Jack added, somewhat more circumspect. "Teal'c?"

"I do not recognize this place."

Their leader let out a long sigh and ran his hands over his face and through his hair, causing it to stick up wildly on end. "Look, maybe we just need some sleep."

"I do not require sleep," Teal'c reminded him.

"Right," Jack replied. "Why don't you take first watch, Teal'c?"

The Jaffa nodded solemnly and moved to the corner of the room to stand sentinel, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. Meanwhile, Jack settled himself on the chaise, leaving the bed for Sam and Daniel. With a sharp tug, he pulled his cap over his eyes and within seconds was snoring softly.

Sam lay down next to Daniel and closed her eyes to sleep, but just before she drifted off, he spoke quietly into the darkness. "Does anyone else find it strange that no one's asked for any sort of payment?"

"Do you think they take American Express?" quipped Jack, clearly not as asleep as he seemed.

Daniel ignored his sarcasm, as usual. "It's just that this whole place is weird. It's familiar, but at the same time it's not; we've only encountered a handful of people, but no one seems to know anything about SG 3 or 11; and I haven't seen any writing, anywhere."

After a few beats, Jack replied. "Get some sleep, Daniel."

Sam knew that he was troubled by Daniel's observations, and she had to admit that the archeologist had some valid concerns about Shangdu. Though she hadn't noticed the lack of writing, she agreed that it was odd. Still, she couldn't deny that she was excited to be there.

She sighed inwardly. If only she were sharing the bed with Jack.

As the day had progressed, she'd found herself increasingly drawn to her commanding officer. She'd always been attracted to him, of course, and had certain...feelings for him that she knew she shouldn't. But this was different, as if some physical force was literally pulling her to him, making her hyper-aware of his presence.

She hadn't been able to stop sneaking glances in his direction, watching the way he moved, corded muscle rippling just beneath tanned skin; she'd struggled to keep herself from reaching out to touch the rough stubble that covered his chiseled jaw; and more than once, she'd had to repress a shudder of desire as his deep voice reverberated off the palace walls.

God, she wanted nothing more than to feel him lying next to her.

With that rebellious thought, she began to drift again, remotely aware that the tingling sensation she'd felt earlier had intensified.

TBC...


	5. Dream

_But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted_  
_Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!_  
_A savage place! as holy and enchanted_  
_As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted_  
_By woman wailing for her demon-lover!_

\-- From _Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Dream

_A shimmering blue event horizon provides the only light in the otherwise dark 'gate room. She is alone, completely by herself. It's strange to be in this eerily silent space, no klaxons blaring, no Marines shouting orders, no ordnance being readied. Just the blue light moving in rippling waves over her bare skin._

_She turns around, looking for something. Looking for him. Sure enough, once she's come full circle and facing the portal for the second time, she finds him there. He's waiting just in front of the event horizon, watching her, as though he's been there the entire time. Without a word, he extends his hand. It's an invitation, but his eyes are dark and veiled in shadow, and so she hesitates._

_Despite her trepidation, she feels an irresistible urge to go to him. And so it is with a wildly beating heart that she walks up the ramp and takes his hand. Before she knows what's happened, he's pulled her close and set his lips to hers. Leaving no space between them, he holds her to him, with one hand at the small of her back and the other tangled in her hair. Without waiting for permission, he slips his tongue between her lips and pushes his hips into hers. She can feel every inch of his firm length pressed into the apex of her thighs, and her body responds with a rush of warmth at her core. The sensation of him hard and urgent against her makes her heady with desire, and she begins to return his kiss in earnest._

_Suddenly, he pulls away, and before she knows what's happened, he's dragged her through the open Stargate, and they're in their private spot behind the braziers and pipework of the factory beneath the ice. He gives her bulky orange jacket a tug, and it falls to the floor, leaving her completely naked. She knows she should be embarrassed -- they've never taken things this far before -- but then he's touching her, and his fingers and lips are trailing fire over her skin, and all she wants is to feel him inside her._

_He kisses her breasts, her abdomen, her inner thighs, and she can't remember ever being so aroused. The next thing she knows, he's buried deep inside her and they're moving together and she's about to come, even though she knows she shouldn't, that it's forbidden. But the sensations he's causing are too intense, and he's on the verge of pushing her over the edge..._

_In the next second, she finds herself strapped to a chair while she watches as the spinning red-blue display of a za'tarc detector begins to give way to solid red. He is there, too, looking at the machine with a furrowed brow. He glances up at her and tries to tell her something, but she can't hear him. Pulling firmly on her restraints, she tries to free herself from the chair, but she's strapped to it and can't get up. Though she knows it's wrong, she is still aroused. But now she's unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and the only thing she wants is for him to touch her, to finish what he started, even though the machine is glaring at her, bright red. Accusing._

_The chair instantly becomes a hospital bed, and she's still strapped down, but prone now and completely unable to move. She begins to panic, certain that Conrad's scientists are preparing the syringe that will end her life. Instead, he walks up beside her. She thinks with a great deal of relief that he's there to free her. But his eyes are still dark, and when he looks down at her, she knows something isn't right._

_"This is what you want," he says. A statement, not a question. He bends down to kiss her mouth and then her breasts, and as his hand moves between her legs she realizes that she's naked once again. But unlike before, she's restrained; she's at his mercy. Though she's still aroused, she knows that this is wrong, that this isn't how this is supposed to happen. She tries to tell him to stop, but she can't make the words come out, and before she knows it, his long fingers are stroking the sensitive nub between her thighs._

_Her desire ratchets higher, but when she looks at him, his eyes are still dark and cold. She tries to move again, but the restraints hold her tight. She doesn't like it, this complete lack of control, but she's breathing heavier now as he continues to work her. Suddenly, he increases his pressure and rhythm, his fingers sliding easily between her slick folds. She's totally lost dominion over her own body now, and she's spiraling higher and, oh god, she's going to come._

_She meets his gaze one last time, pleading with him to release her. But instead he simply gives her a wicked smile, as he repeats his earlier statement, “This is what you want.” He twists his fingers as his eyes flash with the evil golden glow of Goa'uld possession, and she’s gone._

"Sam!" Daniel yelled, as she woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed and gasping for air. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Are you okay?"

She was fairly confident the answer to that question was no. Both disturbed and disoriented, she could still feel where Jack was touching her in her dream. She chanced a glance in his direction, only to find that he was staring right at her, concern evident on his face. She looked away, ashamed. Her body was still buzzing, a slight sheen of sweat covering her skin, and she wondered if the others knew that she'd just come in her sleep, that _he_ had made her come. Feeling her cheeks color, she told herself that it was just a nightmare.

"Carter?" Jack questioned, his voice thick with sleep, or perhaps worry. She still hadn't responded to Daniel.

She nodded finally and took a deep breath. "I'm okay." The details of the dream were fading now, and she felt her heart rate finally begin to slow. "Sorry," she added.

Jack rubbed a hand over his face and through his hair. "Yeah, well, I didn't really sleep all that great either," he responded. But he was looking at her strangely, as though he were trying to figure something out. After a few seconds, he turned his head, averting his gaze, and she wondered for moment if the nature of his dream was the same as hers. She followed his eyes as they swept the room and noticed almost at the same time he did that the full light of day was pouring in through the window. "Jeez, what time is it?"

But Daniel had a more pressing question. "Um, guys, where's Teal'c?"

Sam turned her attention to the corner her teammate had occupied the night before. Sure enough, he was gone. God, what was wrong with her? She hadn't even noticed he was missing!

Jack was on his feet in a matter of seconds. "What the hell?"

Daniel and Sam followed suit, but before they could do anything more, the door to their room opened and the woman from the night before entered, followed by two others carrying trays. "I am pleased to see you awake. You must be famished," she said, and with a flourish the trays were uncovered to reveal an elaborate meal.

"Where's our friend?" Jack demanded, unimpressed.

But the woman was not in the least bit intimidated. "He left at sunrise, to explore the palace. He asked me to tell you that he will join you later." She gave them a dazzling smile. "Now, come, eat. And then I will show you the wonders of Shangdu."

Sam's stomach rumbled, and she realized that she really was quite hungry. The food looked unfamiliar but delicious. Something about the situation was not quite right, she knew, but she couldn't remember why she should be concerned, particularly given the luscious display before her. Surely these people couldn't mean them any harm.

Jack and Daniel must have felt the same way, because any concerns they had about Teal'c or bad dreams were forgotten as they sat down on the bed and began to indulge. Talking and laughing, they feasted on savory game meats, sweet pastries, and creamy cheeses, and Sam couldn't remember ever feeling so relaxed.

As she was about to pop a berry in her mouth, she caught Jack staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Without giving the matter a second thought, she reached across the bed and fed him the fruit instead. She was just about to lick her fingers, when the impropriety of her actions struck her. Instantly, she snapped to attention, waiting for the inevitable reprimand, but when it failed to come, she finally looked over her CO, who simply gave her an impish smile, causing a frisson of desire to shoot through her body.

When they were done, the woman returned to lead them to a large pool outside the palace that overlooked the sea. When she walked onto the open deck, Sam had to stifle a gasp at the beauty of the venue. It was clear that the pool was man-made, but the water was a dark green and seemed to be fed by an elaborate waterfall located at the far end of the pool. The area around the water was surrounded by several large, ornate columns, some of which held scaffolding that supported a flowering vine that was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

The moment he saw the pool, Daniel stripped down to his skivvies and dove in, followed closely by Jack who whooped with joy when he surfaced from the cold water. Sam was just about to join them when something about the way the light reflected off the surface of the water caused her to hesitate, recalling the rippling blue light of her dream.

"Are you unable to swim?" their host asked.

Sam found it curious that she was still there, watching them closely. "No, I can swim," she began, then paused as she tried to remember something she was certain was important. Slowly she turned to look at the woman, and with a great deal of effort managed to ask, "Why are we here?"

But the woman simply smiled, as she placed a comforting hand on her forearm. "You are here to enjoy the pleasures of Shangdu."

Of course that made perfect sense, Sam thought. Why else would they be there?

"Hey, Carter! You're missing out!" yelled Jack from the pool. She smiled as she watched her CO duck underwater and pull Daniel's legs out from under him. With a yelp, the archaeologist went under and came up sputtering. Hell-bent on retribution, he went after Jack, who was only just managing to stay out of his reach. "Help me, Carter!" he hollered jokingly, and without another thought as to their purpose in Shangdu, she stripped down to her bra and panties and dove in.

The three of them spent the better part of the afternoon laughing, playing, and lounging by the pool. Aside from the occasional arrival of food and drink brought by discreet servants who seemed to disappear the moment they arrived, they were left completely to their own devices, which was fine by Sam. She couldn't imagine a better way to spend an afternoon than swimming with two half-naked, gorgeous men. And although she knew that, objectively, Daniel was every bit as handsome as Jack, she found herself unable to stop staring at her CO. It was all she could do not to reach out and touch him, and if his constant proximity to her was any indication, he felt exactly the same way.

After a couple of hours, Daniel announced that he was leaving the two of them to take a nap. Sam watched the archaeologist as he exited the pool and settled on a shaded chaise, before giving her a quick wink and closing his eyes. She blushed knowing that he had likely grown tired of their flirting, but she was quickly distracted when two strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Going somewhere, Carter?" Jack whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver despite the warm day. Before she realized what had happened, though, he had lifted her out of the water and launched her halfway across the pool.

"Ooh!" she huffed at him as he laughed, but she lost no time making a beeline in his direction.

With a startled yelp, he began to swim away from her, toward the waterfall. By the time she caught up to him, he was behind it, completely hidden from view. It was only after she dove under it and surfaced in the waist deep water right beside him that she realized how intimate the space was.

He gave her a cocky grin and held his hands up in mock surrender. "You got me," he said, his voice low and husky.

The low buzz she'd felt since they'd arrived suddenly intensified and the urge to touch his broad, tanned chest became overwhelming. "I guess so," she replied, setting her hand on his sternum. She was gratified to feel his heart begin to race, just like hers.

His hand came up to cup the back of her head, and his eyes drifted down to her mouth. "Sam," he whispered before lowering his lips to hers.

The kiss was electric, setting her entire body aflame. Pulling him closer, she wrapped her legs around his under the water and pressed her entire body to him. On a low growl he deepened the kiss, and she thought she might spontaneously combust with the feeling of his tongue on hers, his hard length firm against her heat.

He had just begun to kiss down the long column of her neck, when she had the inexplicable notion that something wasn't right. "Sir!" she exclaimed, as she backed away.

He looked at her, completely dazed. "Carter?"

"I..." she began, still paddling backwards. "This is...this isn't supposed to happen." Even as the words left her mouth, though, she wasn't so sure. Her entire body was still aflame, contradicting her reservations. She ducked under the water and began to swim toward the deck. She needed to think, and she was finding it impossible to concentrate with him so close.

As she got out of the pool, Daniel cracked an eye open. "Everything okay, Sam?"

She pulled on a robe. "I'm not sure. This place...it's messing with my head."

"In what way?" he asked as he maneuvered to a sitting position.

She shrugged and looked at her feet, just as Jack swam up and joined them on the deck. "I don't know. It's just...off somehow." She was loathe to admit that the real problem was that she kept having to fight the urge to jump her commanding officer.

"I know what you mean," Daniel agreed, much to Sam's surprise. "Take this whole area," he indicated their surroundings. "It has both Roman and Asian influences. I've never seen anything like it, but at the same time it's familiar to me. Very odd."

Sam deflated. Her concerns were greater than just the architecture. But to her surprise, Jack agreed with Daniel. "Yeah. Makes me wonder what else is here."

Now that she thought about it, they had been there almost a full day and had only seen their room and the relatively small pool area. But the palace was huge! She exchanged a worried glance with her teammates.

Jack strode purposefully to the door through which they’d entered, but it was clearly locked and didn't budge, not even when he threw his full weight against it. Sam walked in the opposite direction to try the entrance used by the servants, only to find that it too was barred. They were trapped. On top of everything else, it was clear they'd completely lost track of time. The shadows were already growing long, and a quick glance at the ocean confirmed that the sun was nearing the horizon.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jack exclaimed.

At just that moment the dark woman returned through the door they'd just tried to open. She gave them a broad smile. "I trust you have enjoyed your afternoon?"

With a low growl, Jack began to approach her, but paused when Daniel put a restraining hand on his arm. "Let me," he murmured, and much to Sam's surprise, Jack allowed the archaeologist to take over.

"Um, yes, thank you," Daniel began, "but we were wondering if we could see more of the palace?"

"But of course," she replied. "In fact, I've come to inform you that you've been invited to join the others tonight in the pleasure dome." She turned and looked at the three of them over her shoulder. "Now if you'll come with me, I will take you to get prepared."

"Prepared?" Sam asked.

At the same time, Jack snapped, "Others?"

She spun around to face them and clasped her hands in front of her, a mild smile still gracing her attractive features. "Surely you didn't think you were our only guests? And I assume you would prefer to dress for the evening, no?"

Now that Sam thought about, that made perfect sense. She did want to shower and change, and she felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of seeing the pleasure dome. Plus, she suddenly remembered that they were there to...meet others? She wasn't sure that was quite it, but she knew it was important.

Apparently, Jack and Daniel agreed, because without further hesitation, they began to follow behind the dark woman, who had left through the now open doorway.

After many twists and turns, they were ultimately taken to an interior room of the palace that housed what appeared to be a great communal Roman bath filled with steam that rose in slow tendrils from the water. A handful of wordless serving women approached and began to strip all three of them bare.

Though normally Sam never would have voluntarily disrobed in front of her teammates, for some reason it felt completely natural there, and she let the women remove her robe, followed quickly by her bra and panties. Once naked, all three of them were encouraged to enter the water, where another set of women began to bathe them with rough cloths.

Throughout it all, Sam kept stealing glances at Jack, only to find him opening staring at her. Each time she met his eyes, she blushed but was thrilled to see desire written openly on his face. Not once did he look away, and something about his unmasked attraction made her feel incredibly feminine.

After they had been bathed, they were anointed with some sort of fragrant oil, and Sam's hair was styled as much as possible given its short length. Finally, they were provided fresh robes that were made of a light-weight linen that left little to the imagination. Though Sam was uncertain about being so groomed and apprehensive about seeing the pleasure dome, she was equally if not more excited to discover its secrets, particularly if it meant she could do so with Jack.

Once they had been prepared, they were guided by their host down a long, dark corridor. The further they went, the stranger Sam felt, but the three of them said little as they traveled to their destination.  At the end of the hallway, there was yet another large, iron door. Again, it began to open without a sound, and it only took a moment for Sam to recognize the familiar sensation that had been floating just below her consciousness.

She stifled a gasp, desperate to warn her teammates. With a great deal of effort, she spoke, her voice little more than a horrified whisper. "I sense a symbiote."

TBC...


	6. The Light

_Her mind is Tiffany twisted, she got the Mercedes Bends_   
_She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys that she calls friends_   
_How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat_   
_Some dance to remember, some dance to forget_

_So I called up the captain, "Please bring me my wine"_   
_He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969"_   
_And still those voices are calling from far away_   
_Wake you up in the middle of the night just to hear them say_

_Welcome to the Hotel California..._

\-- From _Hotel_ _California_ by The Eagles

The Light

Jack registered alarm, his body tensed for a fight, the moment Sam uttered her warning. At the same time, the door to the strange room closed behind them, submersing them in a wave of blue light that emanated from a central column beneath the dome. The light floated eerily across the floor and hugged the high ceiling like smoke, dancing in time to a strange sort of music. It was beautiful and captivating and eminently distracting, so much so that Jack completely forgot the danger.

Something about the way the light demanded his attention was distantly familiar. Unlike the last time he'd encountered such a display, however, he found that he was able to look away and take in his surroundings, which he found almost as fascinating as the light.

The area under the dome in which they were standing could have almost housed a football field. Aside from the pale blue light coming from the center of the room in endless waves, it was quite dark. Nevertheless, Jack could just discern several plush chairs, low tables, and couches in every shape size strewn across the open space, most of which were occupied by people in intimate poses. Some were smoking elaborate pipes that reminded him of Middle Eastern-style hookahs, while others were drinking various exotic concoctions, including several that produced their own type of smoke. Most of the women in the room were topless and talking in low tones to strange-looking men. Several wore masks. They were all beautiful, he thought, and from where he was standing they appeared to far outnumber the men.

The setting was undeniably enticing, but Jack couldn't shake a sense of danger, of _wrongness_ about the place. It reminded him of a larger, more upscale version of the foreign gentlemen's club his men had taken him to when they were alone in the desert and far from their families. Just like then, he wasn't comfortable with his surroundings, yet he couldn't seem to look away.

Slowly, he and Daniel and Sam made their way toward the center of space, drawn in part by the strange and beautiful light. As they passed others, Jack recognized another woman and a man entertaining two strangers in the lounge. The word "teammates" entered his mind unbidden, but he had no idea what it meant. He felt he should approach them to check on their well-being, but the moment he began to veer in their direction, their companions snapped their heads up and glared directly at him, their eyes flashing in warning. He immediately backed off.

He found the situation deeply disturbing, but he had no idea why. He was just about to mention it to the others, but as soon as he turned, he caught Sam staring at him and was instantly entranced by the way the blue light moved over her pale and flawless skin. In that moment, everything else was forgotten.

Without warning, the light changed to a much deeper shade of blue that undulated in slow and sensuous waves across the open space. The music followed suit, and Jack suddenly felt a dramatic increase in the low-level sexual arousal he'd been experiencing since they entered. The shift in the light and sound must have had the same effect on Sam, because her already large pupils dilated completely, leaving only a thin ring of blue surrounding their inky depths. Her breaths became increasingly shallow, and when her pink tongue peeked out to wet her swollen lips, Jack felt a surge of desire that nearly knocked him off his feet.

It was intoxicating. _She_ was intoxicating. With a singular purpose, he pulled her to him and began to maneuver them both toward a dark corner of the lounge. Not once did he notice that Daniel was no longer with them. All around them, people began pleasuring each other in every way imaginable, and though a handful of men and women approached them, he was only interested in one thing: her.

He hadn't even realized that he'd pulled her closer until she straddled his leg and began to move against it. From that point forward, his attention was focused on her and her alone. Tentatively, he slid his hand under her robe and curled his fingers around her hip and wondered when he'd become so hesitant. After all, he'd always been someone who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was special, that he needed to get this right. And so his hand moved up her body to cup her breast almost reverently. That was until she ran her own hand down his chest and didn't stop until she found his cock. With a sure and steady pace she began to stroke him, and he was lost.

He pushed her robe open and lowered his head to take first one breast and then the other in his mouth. "More," she moaned as he twirled his tongue around one taut nipple. And so he turned them both and pushed her against the wall, hiking her leg over his thigh and entering her in one swift thrust.

He heard her breath catch and wondered fleetingly if it was too much, too fast. But she was slick and ready, and no sooner had he entered her completely than she began to rock against him, moaning softly with each thrust. He was the one who had her pressed to the wall, thrusting hard and fast into her willing body, but he clearly wasn't in control, though in truth, he couldn't be sure either one of them was.

It didn't take long for him to recognize that he was in real danger of losing himself in her, and he'd never been so happy to hear a woman whisper that she was about to come. The mysterious music enveloped them in sensual rhythm, and he found he could no longer contain the primal force building inside him. With a final thrust, he experienced a seemingly endless release that was like nothing he'd ever known.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he worried that he'd left her behind. But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than she was spiraling apart beneath him. As he watched the mysterious blue light flow over her as she rode out the waves of her ecstasy, he thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and he knew then that he would never, ever leave her.

In that moment, a web of blue electricity encircled them both, and they dropped to the floor, unconscious.

TBC...


	7. The Proprietor

_And all who heard should see them there,_   
_And all should cry, Beware! Beware!_   
_His flashing eyes, his floating hair!_   
_Weave a circle round him thrice,_   
_And close your eyes with holy dread..._

\-- From _Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Proprietor

"Sam." His voice was soft, as he gently shook her awake. Her eyes fluttered open, then closed again when a bright light threatened to pierce her skull. "Come on, Sam. Wake up." She forced herself to sit up, a move she immediately regretted when her head threatened to split in two. "You okay?" Daniel asked, his voice laced with concern.

She was still trying to tame a wave of nausea, so she didn't reply but simply grasped his arm instead. As she slowly regained consciousness, she began to realize that she was sore and sticky and couldn't remember what had happened the night before. Or perhaps she didn't want to remember? That thought, coupled with her roiling stomach, was almost enough to make her lie back down.

Instead, she gingerly raised her head to take in her surroundings. She was in a room, crowded but relatively comfortable. It appeared to be furnished almost entirely with beds, though there was a huge table laden with food and drink in one corner and what appeared to be several low baths in the other. She was surprised to see that, despite her initial impression, the lighting in the room was actually quite soft, and most of the people were sleeping. Curiously, almost all the occupants were women though there were a handful of men, including Daniel, who looked almost as bad as she felt.

The woman nearest them shifted a little closer and gave her a sympathetic look. Sam recognized her as one of the scientists from SG-11, and with a start, she also realized that she was the dark-haired woman from the lounge under the dome. At that moment, everything from the night before came back to her in a rush - the beautiful light, the woman bent over a table, Jack pulling her into a corner, his hands and lips on her body. She gasped. Holy fuck, she'd had sex with her CO in the middle of a room full of people! "Oh, god," she whispered, unable to mask the note of despair in her words.

Daniel quickly put a comforting arm around her shoulders, and Sam wondered if he knew why she was so upset. Had he seen them? If he had, he wasn't letting on and seemed intent only on calming her down. He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "It's okay. We're safe for now." He looked toward the dark-haired woman for verification, and Sam remembered that her name was Liza. She gave him a quick, reassuring nod.

Sam closed her eyes and tried to clear her throbbing head. If they were going to get out of there, she was going to have to push aside the events of the prior evening and postpone her mental meltdown until later. Now was the time for action. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and fell back into military mode. The first thing she needed was a sitrep. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice much stronger now. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're in the resting room," Liza answered. At Sam's puzzled look, she explained further. "All of the...." she hesitated, unable - or unwilling - to find the appropriate word, and gestured at the people in the room instead. "We're brought here to eat, sleep, and clean up between stints in the pleasure dome." Her cheeks flamed suddenly, and she looked down at her hands, unable meet their eyes.

Sam wondered what the hell this woman had been through. For the first time since she'd come to, she was starting to feel sorry for someone other than herself. "Pleasure dome?" Sam asked quietly.

"The huge room we were taken to last night," Daniel offered. "With the light."

She remembered the light, the way it played over Jack's tanned skin as he thrust inside her. She closed her eyes in an attempt to refocus, but all she could think of was the feeling of him moving inside her, pushing her ever closer to the edge, a look of ecstasy on his face that she knew mirrored her own. A shudder racked her body, but she wasn't sure if it was the memory of her pleasure or fear of what they'd done.

She gave herself a mental shake. She needed to keep her wits about her if she was going to get them out of there. All of them, she thought ruefully, surveying the people around her. It was then she realized something was missing. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," replied Daniel. "I lost track of you and Jack almost as soon as we entered the dome."

Liza added, "My team was with me the first night we were here, but I haven't seen them since."

"SG-3?" Sam asked the scientist.

She shook her head. "I might have seen a couple of them one night, but I can't be sure. Once I'm in that room, I...I lose focus." She looked down at her hands again, embarrassed. "The Kahn -- the one who runs this place -- I've been told that he only keeps the most attractive humans for work in the pleasure dome." She shrugged. "I assume he uses the others elsewhere."

That was a chilling thought. For what purpose might Jack and Teal'c and the others be used? One thing was certain: whatever this Khan had done with him, Jack would have fought him the entire way. Teal'c and the members of SG-3, too, for that matter. And if they had resisted, what might have become of them? She paled at the thought and her stomach turned again, just as the throbbing in her head intensified. She groaned and dropped her head in her hands.

"Sam?" Daniel questioned.

"I don't feel well," she responded.

"It's always like that," offered Liza. "The light works like a drug, and every time we come back to this room we go through some sort of withdrawal. It keeps us weak, and willing to return to the pleasure dome each night."

Sam blanched as the full impact of the situation hit her. There were more than two dozen people in the room, and they were being used as sex slaves. God, the things Liza must have experienced in the last three weeks, she thought. Though they were the same things she would soon experience herself if they didn't get out of there. The thought made her grimace.

But the scientist misread her expression. "It's okay, Major Carter. You can't blame yourself for what happened last night." She placed her hand over Sam's. "It's not your fault. The light controls us. No matter how willing we become when we're in there, it's not consensual."

"No, you're wrong!" Sam barked, yanking her hand away, and her vehemence surprised even her. Dammit! It had been consensual. Hadn't it? How long had she dreamed of doing the things she and Jack had done in the pleasure dome? Neither of them had been in their right minds, she knew, but things could have gone much, much worse for her, too. Right?

Now it was Liza's turn to look at her strangely, and she realized suddenly that this woman had no idea she'd been with Jack. No, she probably assumed she'd been with a complete stranger, one who had simply used her for sex.

Recovering herself she added quickly, "It's not just the light. The electric field that's causing us to...act unlike ourselves is carried on a wave outside the visible spectrum."

Liza was staring at her somewhat confused, but Daniel gave her a knowing look. "Just like P4X-347," he said.

Sam met his gaze. That planet's designation was not one either of them would soon forget, nor the captivating light in the palace by the sea that they found there. "Yes, just like P4X-347."

"So this is..." he began.

"A Goa'uld pleasure palace," she finished the statement for him. "Except this one's still in operation."

Daniel's face turned stony. "We have to get out of here."

"But how?" asked Liza.

Sam looked at her. "The first thing we need to do is turn off that light."

oOoOoOo

"Arghhh." Jack sat up with a groan, holding his head in his hands. He was pretty sure he hadn't had a hangover this bad since that one rowdy night in Munich twenty years ago. Damn, what the hell'd happened to him?

He was contemplating whether it would be better to just go ahead and retch, when a firm hand gripped his shoulder and a deep baritone voice rumbled around the small space. "O'Neill."

Jack cracked one eye open to find the large Jaffa kneeling over him. "T, buddy. Where ya been?"

Teal'c gave him the eyebrow. "I have been here."

At that, Jack looked around and saw that they were in an underground holding cell, dark and dank and decidedly lacking in the creature comforts. The small, stone and iron-bound chambers held several people, including two members of SG-3, located in the cell across the narrow corridor that ran the length of the space. Lieutenant Morrison was curled up in a ball in the corner of his cage, presumably trying to sleep, but his leader was watching them with rapt attention. He looked rough, Jack thought.

He lifted his chin toward the military man. "Good to see you, Reynolds," he said, though his words sounded as if he were chewing gravel. "But the next time you decide you want to take a little vacation, might I suggest someplace a little less...confining." Reynolds gave him a tight smile by way of acknowledgment, but there was absolutely no humor in it. That concerned him. Jack turned toward Teal'c. "Carter? Daniel?" he asked in a low voice. But the Jaffa simply shook his head.

He turned his attention back to his fellow colonel. "What happened to you guys?"

Reynolds straightened a bit and cleared his throat before he spoke. "The locals, they told us SG-11 had come here, to the palace. Shangdu they called it. Anyway, we followed, but when we arrived, we became...distracted." He paused and looked down at the ground for a long while, and Jack wondered if he was going to continue. Finally, he raised his head and looked at him with something akin to...regret? Shame? He wasn't sure. But before he could consider it further, Reynolds continued. "At first, it was great. A tropical setting, beautiful women, delicious food. Then they took us to some sort of club. The next thing we know, we woke up here."

"All four of you?" Jack asked. He'd only seen Reynolds and Morrison.

Reynolds nodded. "Yeah. We were all here. A few days ago, they took two of my men. I don't know why. But there are rumors."

He had a haunted look about him, and Jack wasn't sure he wanted to know the rest, but he asked anyway. "Such as?"

Reynolds shrugged. "The Goa'uld gotta eat, apparently."

"Fucking hell," Jack swore, as he felt his stomach lurch. Sick bastards. He closed his eyes tight, trying to concentrate on getting his nausea under control. "What about SG-11?"

"Two of the three scientists are down here. At least I think they're still here," Reynolds replied. "I'm not sure, but the third, the woman, might have been in dome." Jack gestured for him to explain. "We were taken to a strange room under a large dome. Weird lights, weirder people. Someone hit me with a zat not long after we entered. I don't remember anything after that, though I got the impression the place was used for sex."

Instantly, Jack was reminded of his own experience under the dome, including the light and his encounter with Sam. God, Sam. He'd never wanted a woman so badly in his life. And damn if he hadn't taken her. All the way in fact, and it had been as phenomenal as he'd always thought it would be. But she'd been willing, right? He certainly remembered her being responsive, but he really couldn't be sure. That light had messed with his head and hers, too, no doubt. And where was she now? Where was Daniel?

His mind reeled with possibilities, each more horrific than the last. At the same time, bits and pieces from the night before were coming back to him. He wasn't certain what was worse - not knowing what was happening to Sam now or worrying that he might have had sex with her against her will. Suddenly, he couldn't stop himself from puking. When he was done, he swore under his breath and hung his head.

"Are you alright, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.

Before he could respond, though, there was a commotion at the end of the corridor. A large, bald man with a goatee entered, covered head to toe in silken robes. Gemstones adorned each of his long fingers and two golden hoops hung from his earlobes. By his side was the same attractive woman that had attended to them when they'd first arrived.

Teal'c leaned over and said in a low voice, "He is a Goa'uld."

"Of course he is," Jack mumbled, as he rose to his feet. "Hey! You! Mr. Clean!" he yelled at the bald man, but the Goa'uld was already heading in his direction. "How 'bout you let us out of here, and no one gets hurt," Jack taunted, just as he and the woman came to a stop in front of his cell.

The Goa'uld ignored him and asked the woman in his strange, echoing timbre, "Are these the recent additions?" She inclined her head, and he clasped his chin. "Hmm, a Jaffa and a human warrior." He gave the woman an evil grin. "They should do nicely. It's a large party, so bring the other one, too," he added, indicating Reynolds with a dismissive gesture.

He turned his back and began to walk away, but Jack yelled after him. "What do you want from us?"

The Goa'uld paused and looked at Jack over his shoulder. "Oh, I have big plans for you."

"We'll die before we serve as slaves," Jack spat.

The evil grin returned. "You needn't worry about that. I've got something _much_ more exciting in mind for you."

His eyes flashed once before he resumed his march toward the exit, and Jack couldn't help but think that even for a Goa'uld he was batshit crazy.

TBC...


	8. The Hunt

_And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,_   
_As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,_   
_A mighty fountain momently was forced:_   
_Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst_   
_Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,_   
_Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:_   
_And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever_   
_It flung up momently the sacred river._

\-- From _Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Hunt

"But how?" Liza asked. "How can we turn off the machine if it takes control of us the moment we leave this room?" She looked anxiously between Daniel and Sam. "I've tried to resist it. God knows, I've tried, but every time..." She trailed off for a moment before locking onto Sam's gaze. "You know what it's like, the way it makes you forget who you are."

Memories of her time with Jack under the influence of the light came rushing back, and Sam felt a spike of desire that had nothing to do with mood-altering devices. God, she still wanted him, she thought, but she suppressed a groan at Liza's knowing look. It occurred to her that the scientist had been right next to them when Jack had pressed her up against the wall. She must have seen them.

Sam gave herself a mental shake. She'd have to sort through the ramifications of what happened later. For now, they had to find a way to get out of there. "We need something that will help us keep our focus. Something to distract us from the pull of the light machine."

Liza just shook her head, but Daniel was clearly following. "Pain," he offered.

"Exactly," Sam replied. "We need a sharp object. Something we can hide."

They looked around the room, but everything seemed to consist of soft fabrics and downy pillows. Clearly, the Khan had thought of removing anything that the slaves might use to cause themselves harm. There weren't even any utensils with the food.

Sam was just beginning to give up on the idea, when Liza surprised her. "I have it!" she exclaimed and quickly moved across the room toward the baths, where she picked up something from a low table that held soaps and lotions and other grooming items. As she made her way back to Daniel and Sam, she presented them with a small ivory comb. With snap, she broke off one of the teeth and handed it to Daniel.

He poked it into his palm and looked up at Sam with a broad grin. "That hurts."

Sam returned his smile, as Liza broke off a tooth for each of them. Quickly, she began to explain to them how to turn off both the light and the mechanism under it, in the hope that at least one of them would be able to make it to the machine before falling prey to its effects.

Suddenly, a chime sounded, and their fellow slaves began to rise.

"It's nearly evening. We're expected to prepare ourselves for another night in the pleasure dome," Liza said. She gestured toward the baths, into which many of the slaves were walking. One by one, they shed their robes and entered the warm water.

Daniel grimaced. "And if we don't?"

"Then the Khan's guards will force you. It is..." she faltered for a moment, "an unpleasant experience."

Unwilling to test the Jaffa guards, the three of them walked to the baths. Liza threw off her robe without hesitation, but despite the fact that it hid very little, Sam was reluctant to remove hers. With a furtive glance around the room, she quickly confirmed that the few men who were there with them were completely disinterested in the women. And so, with her back to Daniel, she let her covering fall to the floor and quickly immersed herself in the steaming water.

Despite the dire nature of their situation, she reveled for a moment in the feeling of the soothing warmth of the water as it permeated her sore muscles and tender flesh. It was once again a reminder of all that had happened the night before. Part of her was appalled at what she and her commanding officer had done, but she was becoming acutely aware that a much larger part wanted him just as she'd had him the night before. The more she thought of their activities, the more she felt herself flush, and she was endlessly thankful that the rosy glow that now colored her cheeks would likely be attributed to the steamy bath.

Sam had just left the baths and was putting on a clean robe when the guards came to collect the slaves. As soon as the door opened, she felt the unmistakable pull of the device. Quickly, she picked up her tooth from the comb and placed it in the palm of her hand so that the point dug into her skin. Both Daniel and Liza gave her a quick nod, indicating that they, too, were ready.

It was only as they began to file out of the resting room that she noticed that one of the female slaves had been left behind. She was lying on one of the beds, severely beaten and barely conscious.

"What happened to her?" Sam whispered to Liza as they began to move.

With a furtive glance at the guards, who were paying little attention to the women, the scientist leaned in close. "Most of the Goa'uld who visit the palace are interested only in taking their pleasure from the slaves." She looked up again to make sure they weren't being watched. "But there's one who likes things rough, extremely rough -- violent even. They call him Babi."

The name sent a chill down Sam's spine, but she had little time to dwell on the matter. It was only a brief walk down a short hallway before they emerged in the dark room under the dome, where the blue light vied for her attention and desire rolled over her in unsubtle waves. She dug the broken tooth into her palm and tried to focus on her surroundings, as she resolutely set out across the room.

If they were going to get out of there, she had to make it to the light.

oOoOoOo

Once the sun had set, two unfamiliar Jaffa pulled Jack and Teal'c roughly from their cells and shackled them to Reynolds and Morrison. Without a word, they led them outside of their dungeon and into the clear, cool night. But despite the mercifully fresh air, the further they walked, the worse Jack felt. One glance at Reynolds' and Morrison's clammy faces confirmed that they, too, were suffering the effects of withdrawal. Only Teal'c was unfazed, and Jack was grateful that at least one of them wasn't handicapped by illness.

No sooner had that thought entered his mind than Morrison fell to his knees and began retching. Taking no mercy on him, the Jaffa simply hauled him onto his feet and continued to drag all four of them toward the forest.

Fighting his own battle with nausea, Jack decided it was time for a diversion. "So, boys," he began. "What's up?" Apparently, however, the Jaffa weren't in a talkative mood. "You know, it's a lovely evening for a stroll, but it would be so much nicer if you took off these chains."

"Silence, human," was the only response. Typical, Jack thought.

Just as they reached the edge of the forest they stopped, and one of the Jaffa began to release their shackles while the other kept his staff weapon trained on them. "I had no idea I was so persuasive," Jack said, more than a little surprised at the turn of events. Their chains fell to the ground, and the Jaffa stepped away. "What is this?" Jack asked, now even more suspicious.

"I suggest you run," said one of the Jaffa, and with that they turned and walked quickly away.

For the briefest of moments, Jack actually thought they were being released. It was only when Reynolds spoke, that he knew they'd had no such luck.

"This is a little too good to be true," his fellow colonel said, giving voice to the one thought they all shared. The next second, the four of them hit the ground as an electrified arrow of some sort whizzed by their heads and impaled itself in a nearby tree, a web of blue electricity winding around the impact area.

Teal'c stood to examine it. "A lightning spear," he said. He met the eyes of the other three. "I believe we are being hunted."

"There!" they heard a Goa'uld yell, as two more arrows whizzed past them. Wasting no further time, they took off running through the wood.

At first, they thought they were putting some significant distance between them and the hunters, but they soon realized their advantage was short-lived, as the humans had to stop every few minutes to recover. At the last such stop, Jack thought he heard the sound of running water. It didn't take much to convince the others that it was the direction they needed to travel.

They headed toward the sound of water, and after several minutes, Jack saw the trees give way to a winding river that cut a wide swath through the forest. Motioning for the rest of them to wait, he silently crept to the edge of the tree line to consider their options. Although the current was swift, it appeared manageable. He glanced back at the others and gave a hand signal indicating that they should swim.

Reynolds and Teal'c nodded their heads in assent and began moving toward the river, but Morrison lingered, looking unsure. "I need a minute," he said. Before any of them could respond, though, a lightning spear flew seemingly out of nowhere and pierced his chest, enveloping him in a web of blue electricity. He fell to the ground, twitching. From a distance, they could hear the Goa'uld hunting party celebrating their kill.

"Morrison!" Reynolds yelled. He tried to run to his fallen comrade, but Jack and Teal'c pulled him roughly back behind the cover of the trees. The arrow had pierced the man's heart, and Jack knew there was nothing they could do save him. Still, he could appreciate how difficult it was for Reynolds to lose someone under his command.

Jack gave the other colonel's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

They retreated back into the forest as quietly as possible, still dragging a reluctant Reynolds with them. From the cover of the trees, they could only watch helplessly as the hunting party arrived to examine their prey. Without warning, one of the Goa'uld raised something that looked like a small, sleek crossbow and shot Morrison a second time as he lay writhing on the ground. He stilled immediately.

The group moved quickly down the tree line, away from the hunting party, which remained distracted by their kill. Jack felt his stomach turn at the thought of leaving one of their own with those twisted bastards, but there was little they could do now. He reminded himself that he needed to focus on getting back to the palace and rescuing the others. As he moved stealthily through the forest, he tried very hard not to think about what might be happening to his team, and especially to Sam. No doubt the Khan would have kept her to serve in the pleasure palace. He clenched his fists at the thought.

Suddenly, Teal'c signaled for them to stop and pointed toward an overhang on the riverbank that would allow them to enter the water unseen. Running low to the ground, the three of them left the cover of the forest and slipped silently over the raised bank. With a soft thud, they landed on the loamy soil below.

They were just about to enter the river, when Jack felt something sharp poke him in the back, and an unfamiliar voice hissed, "Don't move."

oOoOoOo

Sam could see that several Goa'uld were already in the pleasure dome, appraising the slaves and pulling them aside one by one or sometimes in pairs. On more than one occasion, the three of them were approached by the palace's clients, and at first they were successful in rebuffing their attentions. But it didn't take long for the effects of the light to overwhelm Liza. Sam watched with dismay as she dropped her tooth and was led away by the same Goa'uld who had taken her the night before.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath and exchanged a look with Daniel, who was still heading directly for the light along with her.

At that moment the color changed to a much deeper shade of blue, and she was nearly overwhelmed with desire. Still, she dug the tooth deeper and focused on the pain that was now radiating up her arm. As she continued her slow trek toward the light, she realized that she was alone. She turned in search of Daniel, but much to her dismay, he had fallen prey to the increase in the machine's power and was now wandering off, presumably in search of a partner. It didn't take long for a female Goa'uld with an elaborate, feathered headpiece to lead him away.

All around her, people were engaging in various sex acts, and it was quickly becoming more than Sam could handle. It was as though she was reliving her time with Jack, and she wondered for a moment if he was there. The thought made her falter, and she almost dropped her comb tooth. Reflexively, she grasped it harder, and it dug even further into the wound she'd created in palm of her hand. Instantly, the pain brought her back to her mission, and with renewed determination she continued toward the center of the room.

She was almost to the light, when she felt someone firmly grasp her upper arm. Spinning around, she was shocked to find a large, bald man at her side, his brow furrowed and his eyes flashing. He grasped her wrist and turned her hand over, revealing the tooth. She had been digging it into her palm with so much force, the blood from the wound was dripping all over her robe.

"You are beautiful, but most difficult to tame," he said with an evil smirk. He squeezed her wrist tightly, and Sam thought for a moment her hand might pop off, but instead she simply dropped the tine. Once the shard was gone, she began to feel sharp tendrils of desire clawing at her spine. "I really must compliment you on your enthusiasm last night," he breathed into her ear, "but unfortunately I cannot have you bonding with the other slaves."

_Jack_ , she thought, as her mind began to cloud. Everything detail of their time together was recalled in vivid detail, her desire for him nearly overwhelming her. The things he did to her...the way he made her feel...god, she needed him. "Where is he?" she asked, her voice strained.

The Khan grasped her by her arm. "He has been removed so that he will no longer be a distraction." Ignoring her distraught expression, he began pulling her away from the light. "Not to worry, my dear. I have a special client for you, one who will appreciate your fighting spirit immensely."

He led her down a dark corridor that branched off from the dome. Part of her wanted to resist, but her mind was fuzzy and unfocused, and the further they walked, the less concerned she grew. Finally, he brought her to a large wooden door that he pushed open on silent hinges. Inside the room was even darker than the hallway, but he gave her a slight nudge and so she entered, despite a vague feeling of trepidation. Suddenly, the door snapped closed behind her, and she heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.

Though the space was almost completely black, but she could sense a presence looming in the corner. At the same time, she realized with some surprise that she no longer felt the effects of the light machine. Her mind cleared and she was momentarily relieved, until it dawned on her that whoever was there clearly did not want to take her easily. Fear crept up the corners of her consciousness, but she immediately tamped it down, knowing that she had to keep calm if she was going to get out of there alive.

The presence in the room shifted, putting her instantly on alert. "Who are you?" she demanded, infusing her tone with as much confidence as possible.

A deep voice rumbled across the small space, reverberating with a familiar and dreaded timbre. "You know who I am."

With that a creature stepped forward into what little light permeated the room, and Sam had to stifle a gasp.

Something between man and monster filled the space, a repulsive being easily seven feet tall and nearly as wide, completely naked save the thick layer of dark hair that covered his entire body. He gave her an evil grin, and Sam had to repress the urge to vomit.

She barely had time register her danger when his eyes flashed once and he lunged at her.

TBC...


	9. The River

_Five miles meandering with a mazy motion_   
_Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,_   
_Then reached the caverns measureless to man,_   
_And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;_   
_And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far_   
_Ancestral voices prophesying war!_

\-- From _Kubla Khan_ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The River

Jack thought for sure he was a goner, so he was more than a little surprised when Reynolds began to move toward him and calmly extended his palm toward his captor in a placating manner. "Easy, Piotrowski," his fellow colonel said soothingly. "It's just us. And the man you're poking in the back with that zat is Colonel O'Neill."

Smart, Jack thought. Reynolds had given him all the information he needed. The moment he felt Piotrowski hesitate and the pressure from the zat lessen, he spun on his heel and in one swift motion disarmed his would-be assailant and pointed the weapon at his face. It was only then that he got a good look at the man, and what he saw caused him to draw in a sharp breath. He was absolutely filthy, his uniform in tatters and his blond hair sticking up on end with bits and pieces of foliage strewn throughout. If Jack hadn't known better, he'd have thought Piotrowski had been living in the forest for years, rather than days. But the most disturbing thing about his appearance was his eyes; they remained unfocused and completely wild.

Lowering the zat, Jack exchanged a wary look with Teal'c, as Reynolds tried to engage a now catatonic Piotrowski. When he simply continued to stare at a point over Reynolds' shoulder, the colonel decided to try another tactic. "Report, airman!" he exclaimed as loud as he dared, considering their hunters were still nearby.

Piotrowski snapped to attention with a curt, "Sir!"

"Pio," Reynolds began quietly, "where's Lopez?"

The fourth member of SG-3, Jack recalled. Both young and strong, Lopez and Piotrowski would have made attractive prey for the Goa'uld hunt, though the fact that he wasn't there didn't bode well.

The airman focused on his superior and for a moment appeared somber, but lucid. "Dead, sir." His gaze hardened. "The Jaffa...they brought us to the forest, set us free. We couldn't believe it. We thought maybe they were rebels." He glanced sideways at Teal'c. "But then the Goa'uld came with their arrows, and they hunted us, like animals. We managed to evade them for several hours, but we got tired. We thought maybe we'd gotten away, but then we heard them coming, and I took off. But Lopez..." he paused and his look became distant once again, "his foot got tangled in some brush and he went down. By the time I realized what'd happened, the Goa'uld were on him. They just walked up and shot him in the head. They tried to get me, but they couldn't find me." He grinned then, but it was a look of madness not mirth. "They'll never find me."

Shit, he'd been out there too long, Jack thought, forced into a harsh withdrawal from which he doubted there would be any recovery, if his experience on P4X-347 was any indication. His stomach lurched at the thought, and he knew it would only be a matter of days before he and Reynolds suffered the same fate. They had to get to the light if they were going to survive.

"We need to go back to the palace," Jack said to Piotrowski.

The man nodded as though that had been his plan all along and motioned excitedly for them to follow as he crouched down and crept low along the underside of the riverbank. The others trailed behind warily, with one eye on the unstable man ahead and one on the hunters behind. After several yards, Piotrowski stopped and began gesturing excitedly to a hollow in the bank.

Jack walked ahead and bent over to peer into the hollow. Clearly, this was where the man had been hiding, as a pile of leaves had been arranged into a pallet of sorts on the ground. The surprising part, though, was the small arsenal he spotted off to one side, including another zat and the Goa'uld version of a crossbow.

"Where'd you get these weapons?" Jack asked.

Piotrowski just shrugged. "Sometimes I find stuff the Goa'uld leave behind." He grinned again and instantly the wild eyes were back. "I'm gonna take those bastards out," he said eerily manic voice.

"Okay," Jack replied, drawing out the word. "But how 'bout you let us hang onto these for now?" Before he had a chance to respond, Jack pried the zat from the airman's hand, then handed the extra zat to Reynolds and the crossbow to Teal'c. Once they were armed, he turned back to Piotrowski. "So. What, exactly, is your plan?"

He pointed to the nearby water. "This river flows under the palace. I figured I would just float under the wall and then come up, guns blazing." He held his hands up, fingers pointed like guns. "Blow those snakes back to hell." He laughed maniacally, and Jack was certain that he'd lost his mind.

He didn't have time to dwell, though, as they heard voices just above them, on the edge of the bank. As one, they ducked down in an attempt to conceal themselves.

"They were here," said a Goa'uld, his voice vibrating with an eerie timbre.

"They could not have gone far," said another.

"So it would seem," yet a third responded.

Jack held up three fingers, indicating the number of hostiles he assumed were located just above them. Teal'c nodded once, and Reynolds whispered, "We need a distraction."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Piotrowski suddenly emerged from their hiding spot and took off running along the river, yelling at the Goa'uld and drawing their attention to him. It was a reckless move, Jack knew, but it gave them the opportunity they needed. As one, he and Reynolds stood and fired two shots in rapid succession toward the Goa'uld who were turned away, their focus and their weapons trained on the wild man. But it took a moment for Teal'c's crossbow to reach full power, giving one of the hunters enough time to shoot at Piotrowski just before he was speared through the neck by Teal'c.

Jack scanned the forest and let out a harsh curse. Though they'd ultimately killed all three Goa'uld hunters, the arrow from the last had found its mark. He could just see the twitching form of Piotrowski lying prone in the dense foliage ahead.

Like a shot, Reynolds bolted through the trees to kneel by Piotrowski's side, Jack and Teal'c not far behind. The airman was clearly badly wounded but still alive.

"Did we kill some Goa'uld, sir?" he asked Reynolds on a rasping breath.

Reynolds nodded. "Yeah, Pio. Yeah, we did."

He smiled. "Good," he said, before his eyes glazed over and his head lolled to one side.

Jack stifled another curse. All of Reynolds' team was now dead. He watched the man wrap a tight fist around Piotrowski's dog tags and yank them free, before bowing his head over the still form of the airman. Jack knew his fellow leader was still trying to process the loss, but the scene called to mind his own team, half of which was still trapped in the palace. He had to get to them now.

The forest was silent for several seconds before Teal'c said solemnly, "I am sorry, Colonel Reynolds."

Finally, Reynolds stood and briefly met the Jaffa's eyes. "Not your fault, Teal'c." He steeled himself, then walked past them, toward the fallen Goa'uld. "Now let's go get the rest of those bastards," he growled without looking back.

The three of them quickly divested the dead hunters of their weapons, leaving the burdensome crossbows but increasing their arsenal by three zats. Quickly, they made their way to the river. Jack's gaze tracked the direction of the water. He was fairly certain he could see the lights of the castle through the trees, just a few klicks ahead.

"Let's go," he commanded, and they began picking their way downriver as fast as possible.

As they neared the castle, Jack noticed that physically he was feeling much better. However, he found his thoughts drifting back to the prior evening, specifically to his experience with Sam. God, he was worried about her -- not only about what might be happening to her now, but also whether he would ever be able to make things right between them, assuming they ever got off that god-forsaken planet. Honestly, though, he wasn't sure he could ever stop thinking about her -- the way she'd felt wrapped around him, the slide of her silken skin against his, her heady scent, and the sounds she made as he moved inside her. Hell, he was pretty sure he never wanted to stop thinking about it.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said suddenly, drawing Jack's attention back to the current situation. Glancing up, he was shocked to discover that they were already at the palace. With a great deal of effort, he focused his attention on the matter at hand.

Just as Piotrowski had described, the river flowed under the palace walls. No doubt it was intended to be an attractive part of the interior decor, and Jack couldn't help but think it was just like a Goa'uld to put ostentatious design ahead of security. In this case, though, it was to their advantage. He smirked. Far be it for him to look askance at the unintended consequences of unbridled hubris.

With a quick hand gesture, he led the three of them into the waist-deep water. It was cold but bearable, and so he slipped beneath the surface, hoping they would remain unseen once they were inside. It was only a matter of moments before the current carried them beneath the wall. Jack dug his feet in the bottom of the riverbed and considered their options. Unfortunately, it was almost as dark inside the palace as it was outside, making it impossible to tell whether there was anyone else around from underwater. Steeling himself in anticipation of unexpected company, he broke the surface and hastily scanned the area.

They were in a large, open room filled with several green and flowering plants in every shape and size. A glass ceiling through which moonlight shone led Jack to conclude it was an atrium of some sort, and as far as he could tell, it was completely abandoned. After confirming that there was no one else there, he motioned to the others to exit the river. Without a word, the three of them hoisted themselves onto the perfectly groomed riverbank.

"It would seem we are alone," Teal'c said quietly.

Jack nodded. "Yeah. I guess there aren't many people who try to break _into_ the palace." Now that he thought about it, though, he wondered why anyone would want to leave. It was beautiful there, and his entire body was buzzing with excitement. Sam was there, too, somewhere. He needed to find her.

"We should make our way to the pleasure dome," Teal'c offered when neither Jack nor Reynolds made any further move to leave.

"Right," Jack replied. That was where Sam was. God, she was beautiful. He wanted to feel her move beneath him.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c whispered urgently.

Jack whipped his head around to face the Jaffa. Shit, he was losing his edge. By the glazed look in Reynolds' eyes, he wasn't much better off. "You're going to have to keep us focused, T." With a slight incline of the head, Teal'c indicated his understanding. "Do you think you can take us to the dome?"

"I can," he replied. "Follow me." With that, he quickly led them out of the atrium.

Jack kept his gaze pinned on the back of the large Jaffa, concentrating only keeping up with him as they moved with surprising speed through the empty halls of the palace. It wasn't difficult; after all, he was taking him to Sam, and she was the only thing he wanted. If he could only find her...touch her...be with her...

In what seemed a matter of minutes, they were standing outside the grand entrance to the pleasure dome, the one Jack could only assume was intended for the Khan's guests, as opposed to the dark and hidden entrance they'd been lead through as slaves. Huge columns topped with long-tongued dragons carved from stone stood on either side of two massive wooden doors adorned with intricate metalwork. Red silk panels hung from ceiling to floor all around the space as well, giving the area a lush and sensual feel.

Quickly, Teal'c darted behind one of the columns and crouched down, motioning for Jack and Reynolds to follow. From their position near the door, Jack could hear the strange pulsating music from inside. Waves of desire washed over him in time with the irregular beat of the song. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. He had to get inside.

"T..." he began in a strangled voice, unable to finish his sentence.

Teal'c gasped his shoulder in a firm grip. "You must stay with me, O'Neill." He looked over Jack's shoulder. "And you as well, Colonel Reynolds. "Do not look at the light."

Jack nodded, but he was no longer sure to what he was agreeing. Mimicking Teal'c, he unholstered his zat, although he had no idea why he might need it. There was no time to ask, however, as the Jaffa immediately rose from his hiding spot, walked up to the large doors, and pushed them open. On autopilot now, Jack stood and simply followed the Jaffa inside.

The moment he entered the pleasure dome, he was completely captivated by the light. Instantly, he began to move unthinkingly toward it, drawn by sensuous waves that rolled over him and the rest of the room. On some level, he was aware that Teal'c and Reynolds were with him, though he had no time to concern himself with them. No, he had to find Sam.

All around him, people were having sex beneath the waves of light, and he felt a surge of jealously. She was his, dammit! If he caught anyone else touching her, he'd kill that person, whether human or Goa'uld. He looked at the zat in his hand and knew he had the means.

With a growl of frustration, he began barreling through the crowd in search of a blond head, pulling people apart over their vehement protests, unheedingly moving from one group to the next. From somewhere nearby, he heard Teal'c yell his name, but he was motivated now by a singular purpose, and no one was going to stop him from finding her.

"Halt!" a Goa'uld bellowed from across the room, and the sheer rage in his voice was enough to make Jack pause and look in the direction of the sound.

When he glanced up, he saw that Teal'c was standing next to the light and had partially dismantled the housing beneath it. From across the room, the Khan was sprinting toward him, but just seconds before the Goa'uld reached him,Teal'c calmly raised his zat and fired two shots in quick succession before flipping a switch under the machine.

With that, the room plunged into darkness, Jack instantly snapped to attention, and all hell broke loose in the pleasure dome.

TBC...


	10. The Beast

_Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice_  
_And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device"_  
_And in the master's chambers they gathered for the feast_  
_They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast_

\-- From _Hotel California_ by The Eagles

The Beast

Sam'd had little time to examine her surroundings after the Khan had pushed her through the door, but as her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, she'd realized that she was in a room that looked disturbingly like a dungeon. Chains and hooks and leather straps hung from the ceiling, while whips and floggers of all sorts lined the dark stone walls. In one corner, she saw the room’s only piece of furniture – a medieval-looking wooden bench with a straight back and cuffs at the top and bottom. But no sooner had she registered the room’s bizarre implements than Babi had lunged at her.

Much to her relief, she was able to easily spring away from his grasp. If his roar of frustration was any indication, he had grossly underestimated her. She was faster than he was, and now that she was no longer under the influence of the light, she finally felt clear headed and in control. However, she couldn’t help the chill that traveled down her spine when Babi began to laugh, a deep and ominous sound.

“The Khan has finally provided me with someone worthy of my attention,” he said, his voice reverberating with an eerie timbre.

“You’ll have to catch me first,” she taunted, trying to buy some time to consider her options.

Babi was now between her and the door, which she quickly confirmed was the only way out of the room. She knew that she couldn’t dodge him forever. No, if she was going to survive, she’d have to go on the offensive. Looking upward, she spied a long, curved hook, hanging on a chain attached to the ceiling. If she could just jump out far enough to reach it…

With another roar, the monster barreled toward her, and she sprang into action, hurling herself toward the dangling hook. She felt a sense of satisfaction when she was just able to grasp it, but her relief was fleeting, as Babi collided with her mid-air and immediately wrapped his huge, hairy arms around her waist and pulled her down.

“Now you are mine,” he growled, his foul breath washing over her face.

Repressing a wave of nausea, Sam rammed the hook that she still held into the back of his shoulder with all her strength. Babi let out a howl that was equal parts pain and rage, but her tactic had the desired effect, and he released his grasp on her, giving her time to scramble toward the door.

Frantically, she ran her fingers along the edges of the entryway, desperately hoping to find the locking mechanism. Having no luck with that strategy, she resorted to simply grabbing the handle, pushing then pulling as hard as she could. Yet the door wouldn’t budge. It was locked from the outside, as she had feared. She was good and truly trapped.

"I will make you pay for that," she heard Babi growl through clenched teeth from behind her. “And I will enjoy every minute of it.”

Sam slowly turned around to face her attacker, and for the first time since she had entered the room, she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. The beast was staring at her, teeth bared in a menacing fashion, the hook still lodged in his shoulder. He yanked on the chain that attached it to the ceiling, and it fell to the floor. Picking up the end, he began to move slowly toward her, closing in, like a predator stalking his prey.

Moving as fast as she could, she tried to dart around him, but this time he was prepared. With a flick of the wrist he threw the end of the chain toward her such that it caught her legs and sent her sprawling onto the hard floor. Sam struggled to get away, but Babi simply chuckled as he pulled her toward him by the chain, which was now wrapped around her foot. She flipped over in an effort to better defend herself, but it was too late. The moment she turned to face him, he reached down and grabbed her by the neck, then lifted her off the floor. She wanted to fight him, but she found herself gasping for breath as Babi squeezed her windpipe even tighter, and darkness enveloped her.

When she regained consciousness, she was surprised to find that she was not only alive, but apparently uninjured. Slowly, she took inventory of her situation and had to tamp down hard on a wave fear when she found that she was seated on the medieval chair she’d seen earlier, completely naked with her hands strapped above her head. Though Babi was not in her immediate line of sight, she could hear him breathing heavily somewhere on the other side of the room.

It took her a minute before she saw him. Crouched in the opposite corner, he was watching her, his beady eyes glinting in the dim light. She suddenly had the unnerving realization that he’d been studying her the entire time she'd been unconscious and naked on the chair, taking his fill like a sadistic voyeur and intentionally waiting until she was awake to do whatever it was he had planned. The thought made the bile rise in the back of her throat.

He rose then and began to move slowly toward her from across the room. Now that he had emerged from the dark corner, she could see that he was fully aroused. Panic threatened to overwhelm her. She struggled in a vain attempt to free herself from the chair, pulling on her cuffed wrists and kicking out at him with her unbound legs. But the monster simply continued his slow approach, growling as he stroked himself. Disgusted, Sam fought another bout of nausea.

Without warning, he charged her, and she was certain that she was going to die a terrible death. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But the pain she was bracing for never came. Instead, she jumped when she heard a crash and the sound of a zat firing twice.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Babi fall to the ground right in front of her, and the larger-than-life form of her commanding officer standing in the doorway of the dungeon, his zat still aimed at the space the monster had occupied just seconds before.

“Carter,” he said, his voice rough and full of relief, and it was all she could do not to burst into tears. "You okay?"

She could only nod, then get out a shaky, "Yeah.” He crossed the room in just three strides and began to work on her restraints.

It reminded her of how he had come to save her from Adrian Conrad's henchmen just weeks before. He must have been thinking the same thing, because he said, "We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Carter," as he was untying her hands. She knew he was trying to keep things light, but his voice was still rough and belied the depth of his concern.

Once her hands were free, she all but fell into his embrace. It was only a matter of seconds before she began to shake with shock. "I've got you," he whispered in her ear, holding her even closer.

Her mind was moving a thousand miles an hour. She knew that he shouldn’t be holding her, that she shouldn’t want him to, and that it was the least of the things they shouldn’t have done. But all she could focus on at the moment was his solid chest pressed to hers, his strong arms wrapped around her, and the overwhelming sense of relief she felt in his embrace.

After several seconds, he finally pulled away. From seemingly out of nowhere, he produced her robe and draped it around her shoulders before studying her face intently, no doubt to see if she really was alright. Suddenly, she was ridiculously proud that she hadn't started crying. She pulled the robe closed and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. He nodded at her once, apparently satisfied with what he saw.

Only then did she notice the ruckus coming from the pleasure dome. “What happened?” she asked, gesturing in the direction of the dome.

Jack cocked a half grin. "Party's over, and now we've got to clean up." He turned serious once again. "We could use your help. You up to it?"

She stood up tall, steeling herself. "Of course."

With that, he handed her an extra zat before turning to leave the dark room. Sam began to follow, but just before she walked out of the dungeon, she spun around and fired her zat at the still form of Babi, effectively wiping him from existence.

When she walked into the hallway, Sam was surprised to find that she no longer felt the effects of the light. However, once she entered the pleasure dome she could immediately see why – the machine had been turned off, and the result clearly had been disastrous. Everywhere she looked she saw overturned furniture, broken glass, and dead bodies, a few of which were human slaves, though the vast majority were Goa’uld. In some cases, it appeared as though they had literally been torn limb from limb, evidence no doubt of the sheer rage the slaves had felt once they were freed from the light.

As her eyes swept the open space, they finally landed on Daniel, who was talking to Liza on the far side of the room. He looked up and met her gaze, his face grim. Giving Liza's arm a quick squeeze, he immediately began to head in her direction. "Sam! Are you okay?" he asked as he approached. "I saw the Khan take you. What happened?"

But Jack answered, instead. "Later, Danny," he replied with a look that brokered no argument, and she was saved from further comment with the entrance of Teal'c and Reynolds.

"All of the remaining Goa'uld have fled, along with their Jaffa," Teal'c reported. "They have returned to their ships in orbit via a ring located near the entrance to the pleasure dome."

"Should we pursue?" Reynolds asked, and it was apparent that there was nothing he wanted more.

But Jack just shook his head. "They're probably gone already." When Reynolds began to protest, he continued. "Look, they came here to vacation, not to fight. They won't be coming back."

Reynolds deflated a bit and gave a slight shrug. "So I guess we can go home, then."

"No," Jack said sternly. "No, we can't. In fact, none of us can leave."

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Babi was the ancient Egyptian baboon god. Known for his bloodthirsty nature and insatiable sex drive, he was often portrayed with an erection.


	11. Addiction

_Last thing I remember I was running for the door_

_I had to find the passage back to the place I was before._

_"Relax," said the night man, "We are programmed to receive;_

_You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."_

\- From _Hotel California_ by The Eagles

Addiction

Reynolds furrowed his brow. "What? Why not?" he demanded of Jack.

But it was Daniel who answered. "It's the light," he began, trying to keep his voice calm. "Or to be more precise, the mechanism underneath it. We're addicted to it. If we leave now, we'll literally go insane."

At Reynolds' confused look, Sam tried to explain. "We've encountered a device like this before. It emits a type of radiation outside the visible spectrum that alters our thought patterns. That's the reason we all-" She stopped abruptly and shot a quick look at her commanding officer, her cheeks flaming.

"Haven't been acting like ourselves," Jack finished her sentence for her. "We're going to need to dial the machine down gradually so that we can detox before we leave."

"How long is that going to take?" Reynolds asked.

Daniel shrugged. "Well, um, on P4X-347 it took us almost three weeks to fully detox."

"Oh god," Sam muttered under her breath. "I'd forgotten it took that long."

Jack's face was stern. "The sooner we get started, the sooner we can leave. So let's get that machine up and running, Major," he barked at Sam.

She looked as if she'd just been slapped, and Jack felt bad about reverting so abruptly into military mode, but he needed his people to stay sharp if they were going to get off the planet without killing themselves or anyone else.

"Yes, sir," she replied in a clipped tone, and he wondered if she was mad about being stuck on this god-forsaken planet for the indefinite future or if she was just mad at him. In the end, he supposed it didn't matter.

"Teal'c, work with Carter," he ordered. "See if you can set that thing so that we don't all, uh..." Now it was his turn to falter.

"So that you do not lose focus, O'Neill," supplied Teal'c.

"Yes. Right. That." He turned to Daniel and Reynolds next. "I need you to help me gather everyone together in this room. We're going to have to tell them they'll be staying a while longer, and I'm guessing they're not going to be too happy about it."

oOoOoOo

As predicted, the former slaves of Xanadu were not at all pleased with the idea of remaining in the palace for several more days. Daniel tried to explain the situation logically, and when that didn't work, he resorted to begging them to stay. At that point, Jack had had enough, and so he stepped in and threatened to use force to keep them in the palace, if necessary, much to the archeologist's dismay. In the end, though, at least half the slaves left anyway, and with only a handful of military personnel at his disposal, there was little Jack could do to prevent it.

On top of everything else, when Sam and Teal'c first turned the light machine back on, none of the humans, including Jack, were immune. The moment the switch was flipped, he immediately locked onto Sam from all the way across the room, his eyes raking over her body, taking in the curves that were barely concealed by her thin robe.

Instantly aroused, he suddenly had only one goal in mind, and so he began to move in her direction. Abandoning her position by the machine, she rose to meet him, her eyes never leaving his. As he approached, Jack could see the flush on her skin, spreading from her cheeks all the way down into her robe. He knew she wanted him, too.

Without warning, Jack ran into Teal'c's massive chest which had appeared seemingly out of nowhere directly in front of him. Scowling, he tried to sidestep the Jaffa, who simply moved again to block his path.

"O'Neill," he said, his deep voice a warning.

It was enough to bring Jack momentarily back to his senses. "Jesus, T," he huffed and grasped the large man's arm in a desperate grip. "You gotta dial it down some more."

With a quick nod, Teal'c did just that, and after much trial and error - not to mention embarrassment on behalf of several parties - he was eventually able to find a setting that allowed everyone to keep their pants on while not feeling mentally or physically ill.

Even after several days, however, the situation remained difficult, at best. All of the men stayed at least partially aroused and probably the women, too, though of course it wasn't quite as obvious. Jack was pretty sure most of the residents of the palace were still having sex; they were just more discreet about it. But for him, there was only one woman he wanted, and if how much effort she was putting into avoiding him was any indication, he was pretty sure she felt the same way.

Fortunately, there was a lot to do, between finding all of the slaves and other captives - including the two missing members of SG-11, who had been imprisoned deep under the palace kitchens for god knows what purpose - to trying to keep the rest of the locals from leaving, to making sure the palace was completely rid of Goa'uld and Jaffa.

It had all served as a somewhat welcome distraction as far as Jack was concerned, but it left no time to discuss with Sam what had happened between them in the pleasure dome. Not that she appeared in the least bit interested in addressing that elephant in the room. Of that he was confident, as every time he tried to catch her eye, she would quickly avert her gaze.

Still, when he thought back to their time together in that alien lounge, his pulse would quicken and all the blood in his body would rush south. He knew they had been subjected to a mind altering device, and yet...he'd never had a woman so responsive; he'd never felt so in tune with anyone else. He couldn't stop thinking about how soft her skin was where he grasped her hips, the way her eyes fluttered when he entered her, the sound she made when she came.

Taking his cues from her, though, he kept his distance.

oOoOoOo

They'd been there exactly five days when she finally got close enough to actually brush past him. "Sir," she said quietly without meeting his eyes.

He let his gaze follow her. "Carter," he acknowledged. But he knew that he couldn't let this awkwardness between them go on. "Carter," he said a little more urgently, as he reached out to grab her arm.

"Please," she whispered, still refusing to meet his eyes. "Not here."

He let her go. Instead of leaving, though, she turned toward him slightly and motioned for him to follow. With a quick glance around, he began to trail behind her. After several twists and turns though the palace halls, he realized that she had led him to the privacy of the atrium, where the effects of the light machine were somewhat mercifully lessened.

She turned to face him, but when she didn't say anything, he decided he would start. "You're confusing the hell outta me here, Carter," he said gently, because it was the truth.

A pained look crossed her face. "I'm sorry, I know. It's just...I can't...I don't..."

"Look," he said. "I don't know what to do here either, Carter. What I do know that I can't change what's happened between us, and I can't stand you avoiding me. I swear I will play this any way you want, but you just...you have to talk to me." He took a step closer to her. "You have to tell me what you want."

At that, she furrowed her brow, as if trying to work out the solution to an incredibly complicated equation. "What happened between us...it wasn't our fault. We were under an alien influence. No one has to know how far things went-"

"We'll know," he stated quietly, cutting her off, because he really wasn't sure he could ignore his feelings for her, not this time.

But she stood tall and spoke with a resolve he doubted she really felt. "Then we'll just file it away as circumstances beyond our control and move on."

Jack hesitated to respond because he saw several holes in that plan, not the least of which was that he had better chance of becoming best buds with Maybourne than being able to forget what it was like being with her. But if that was the way she wanted to play it, then he supposed he'd do his best, even though he was half hard just standing beside her and he was pretty sure not being able to touch her again was going to drive him bat-shit crazy in the end. But what else could he do?

"Please, sir," she added, crumbling just little.

She suddenly looked desperate and vulnerable and so fucking beautiful all at once, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms. Instead, he merely nodded once. "Okay."

oOoOoOo

They resisted each other for just over a week.

It had been especially difficult because they'd all taken rooms right outside the pleasure dome, so as not to be too far away from the light machine, and the walls had proven incredibly thin. Within the last several days, Jack had learned far more about his companions that he ever wanted to know. For instance, he was painfully aware that Liza and at least one of her teammates enjoyed each other's company every single night, and he wasn't completely sure, but he thought the other one might have joined in occasionally, too.

Though it seemed everyone else had found a partner or two to keep them occupied in the evenings, he went to bed alone. His resulting frustration had turned him into a terror to the others, all of whom had begun giving him a wide berth. The situation was rapidly becoming unbearable, so with a long sigh, he decided that off-world protocol be damned. It was time to ease some tension.

He'd just slipped his hand below the waistband of his pants when she silently entered his room. He paused and watched her, transfixed, as she silently came to stand by his bed, and he wondered if she might be a figment of his imagination, a fantasy borne of his unsatisfied desire.

"Carter?" he asked in a low voice, hardly daring to believe she was there.

By way of answer, she lifted her tunic over her head to expose her bare breasts before untying the flowing pants she'd taken to wearing and letting them fall to the floor. She stood before him, completely naked, and he hardened instantly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, before climbing on top of him, her legs straddling his.

He could feel her wet heat through the thin fabric of his pants, but it was a momentary sensation because she immediately slid down his body, taking his last piece of clothing with her. And then his cock was in her mouth, and he abandoned any further attempt at rational thought.

God, it felt good. Too good, he realized after a minute, so he encouraged her to move back up, which was almost his undoing. He'd thought he was on the edge before, but he came close to losing it when she guided him to her entrance and slowly lowered herself down, taking in his entire length on a low moan. He grasped her hip with one hand in a vain attempt to regain some control and began circling her clit with the thumb of his other, and in no time, they were lost in the pleasure they were giving each other.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew they should be quieter. There were others nearby and there was no way they should have been doing this and Daniel could come looking for them at any moment. Still, the soft and needy sounds she made as she moved above him were worth the risk. She was a sight to behold, with her head thrown back and her large breasts bouncing as she slid up and down his cock. Even though he knew it was wrong six ways to Sunday, he just couldn't bring himself to care.

He considered justifying their actions by telling himself that he was simply doing a favor for a friend, that they were just helping each other through a tough time. It sure sounded a lot better than admitting he was fucking his subordinate. But he knew it was more than that. A lot more. And he suspected she knew as well.

She rode him until she came, stilling suddenly as she let her orgasm take her, his cock buried to the hilt deep inside her, his thumb pressing hard into her clit. Finally, after an impossibly long time, her aftershocks subsided and she lowered her face to meet his gaze. Her expression was unreadable, and for one terrible moment he thought she was going to leave him frustrated.

Instead, she squeezed him hard, eliciting a strangled, "God, Sam," from him, and began moving again, this time focusing on bringing him to completion. It was only a matter of seconds before he was coming too, thrusting over and over again into her tight and willing body, his long sought-after release washing over him in endless waves.

After, she lay on top of him, her head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her back, until his heart rate slowed and he softened inside her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"For what?"

She was quiet for a long time before she answered. "For not being stronger."

"You are strong, Carter," he assured her, and he meant it. "You're the strongest person I know. It's not your fault that we were mind fucked by that damn light."

She shook her head, and the strands of her short blond hair tickled his chin. "No, I'm not strong. I can't stop thinking about you."

"The device-" he began, but she cut him off.

"No, that's not it. We've turned it more than half-way down now, and I still want you all the time."

He had nothing to say to that because he felt exactly the same way, and he knew it had nothing to do with the light. He was addicted to her, and it wasn't an addiction he was likely to beat, no matter how hard he tried.

She slipped off of him and rolled on her back, her eyes glued to the ceiling. He propped himself up on his arm and stared down at her gorgeous, naked body. She was fully flushed from head to toe, relaxed and sated and completely unselfconscious lying beside him, and he wondered if, like him, she might be considering another round. But that clearly wasn't where her head was at the moment.

"This is not something we're going to be able to pretend didn't happen," she said without looking at him.

"No," he replied, but he'd known that for awhile now. In fact, it was something he hoped to hell would happen again and again, but he wasn't about to admit that to her. She needed to come to her own conclusions about the future of their relationship.

"We're going to have to tell Hammond," she continued.

He gave her a half grin. "Well, probably not the finer points." She shot him a reproachful look that he purposefully ignored. "But yeah, I don't think this is something we can keep out of the mission report."

No, revealing the truth about Xanadu and what had happened to each of the SG teams, pretty much all of it, would be required. Which meant, of course, that they were all going to be spending some quality time with MacKenzie, as much as it pained him to admit it. But he suspected that wasn't her primary concern.

"They're going to split us up," she said quietly, still staring at the ceiling.

And there it was. The thing that worried her the most. But it was true. Hammond would never let her continue to report to him after what had happened. "Yeah," he agreed, apologetically.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming need to comfort her, and so he hesitantly placed his open palm on her belly. The move felt bold, despite what they'd just shared, so he was relieved when she placed her own over his.

She was silent for a long time before she finally spoke. "But, I guess if we're not in the same chain of command...?" Instead of finishing that sentence, she turned toward him and gave him a mischievous smile.

His stomach did a little somersault, and he grinned at her in response. "Yeah," he said, with more enthusiasm now, and before he'd realized what had happened, she'd snaked a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a searing kiss. And as he nestled himself between her thighs and slid home for the second time that night, he thought that maybe, just maybe, they were going to be alright.

oOoOoOo

_Six weeks later..._

Sam waited at the foot of the ramp as Walter punched in the 'gate address of the planet they were visiting to begin trade negotiations. It was a routine mission, but she appreciated that Hammond wanted to ease them back into active duty. As Jack had predicted, it had taken several lengthy sessions with the base psychologist to convince the General that they were ready to return to the field. Frankly, she was thankful for the time off; it had given her an opportunity to sort through all that had happened in Xanadu, and she knew for a fact it had helped her commanding officer deal with his own experience on the planet.

For a moment, her mind drifted back to her time spent in the palace. It had taken almost four weeks to fully detox, though the fact that she'd spent nearly every night with Jack had made it bearable. And though their own losses had been substantial, they were able to return almost all of the remaining slaves to their families; even those who'd initially left ultimately came back when the symptoms of their withdrawal became too great. With their help, they'd destroyed the rings so that the Goa'uld couldn't return to Xanadu, at least not without going through the Stargate, which was now being guarded by the local merchants. As for Liza and her team, they still had some counseling in store, since they'd been there longer and had suffered more at the hands of the Khan, but overall they were doing well and were expected to return to active duty soon.

Her attention was drawn back to the 'gate room by the arrival of her CO, who moved to join her before the now active wormhole with the other two members of their team trailing behind him.

"Ready, Major?" he asked, as they walked up the ramp together.

She gave him a quick nod. "Ready, sir."

"Hey Reynolds!" Jack called through the microphone, making them pause. Four heads turned in the direction of the control room. "Watch out for my Second. She has a tendency toward technobabble."

Sam rolled her eyes, but Reynolds just gave her a quick wink before yelling back to Jack, "I believe she's my Second now, Colonel. But I'll take that under advisement."

Reynolds, along with Meyer and Chen, the two newest members of SG-3, continued up the ramp, but Sam hesitated for just a moment, her eyes locked onto Jack's. He might have sounded flippant, but she knew he struggled with the idea of her walking through the 'gate with anyone but him. Still, joining SG-3 was the only way they could continue to be together, and though she missed being part of SG-1 already, she was grateful for the opportunity to explore this thing that had developed between them.

"Be careful out there, Carter," he said.

She gave him a cheeky grin. "Always am, sir."

And with that, she followed her new team into the event horizon, already looking forward to the homecoming she was sure to receive from her former commanding officer when she returned.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the story. Either way, I'd love to know what you thought. :)
> 
> I've always adored the poem Kubla Khan because of the images it evokes, and I've been thinking for a while now about how to work it into a story. The decision to reference Hotel California came much later when I heard the song on the radio and thought it perfectly fit this story. It's just so damn hautning. And who doesn't love The Eagles?
> 
> Big thanks go to my betas BethanyActually and MidKnight Rider. Writing wouldn't be half as much fun without you.
> 
> Finally, a huge thanks to XFChemist for the truly awesome cover art she did for this story. You can see it in all its glorious detail on her Tumblr page. :)


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